He didn’t get the Saints’ starting gig when Drew Brees was out with injury, but it’s starting to look like Jameis Winston will get the job when Brees heads out for good.

With Brees widely expected to retire this offseason, New Orleans is likely looking for a new starting quarterback, and the logical starting point for their search would be on their bench. Head coach Sean Payton appears to be intrigued by the possibility of giving Winston the job.

“We had a great exposure for one year with Jameis Winston,” Payton said on the NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football.” “We didn’t have a normal offseason, but we had enough time to see what we had with him as a player, as a leader, as an athlete. I really like what we had a chance to see. He was a tremendous leader for this team, and that’s hard to do when you come in new in free agency your first year as a backup quarterback. So that’ll be an important checkmark for us.”

Taysom Hill assumed the job for four games in 2020 when Brees was sidelined with rib fractures. He completed 83 of 115 passes for 834 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions, but it appears Payton isn’t ready to hand him the job.

“A lot of times you want to hold your cards closer to the vest, and he is a free agent, but him along with Taysom Hill, who’s in the building, we’ve said it all along, we’re going to develop and coach those guys,” Payton said. “Jameis is one of those guys that we have a big interest in.”

Winston signed a one-year deal in the 2020 offseason after spending the first five seasons of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 70 starts, he threw for 121 touchdowns, 88 interceptions and an 86.9 passer rating.

He had a particularly eventful 2019 season, his last as a full-time starter with Tampa Bay. He led the NFL with 5,109 passing yards but also topped the league in interceptions, throwing 30 picks along with 30 touchdowns. The last play of his Bucs career was a walk-off pick six against the Falcons.