The New Orleans Saints didn’t retain Pete Carmichael just for the sake of it. Keeping an established offensive coordinator on the roster speaks volumes about their vision for 2022 — and the move carries serious implications for both of their top two quarterbacks, including free agent-to-be Jameis Winston and banged-up dynamo Taysom Hill.
Let’s start with Winston. He first signed with the Saints (on a contract well beneath his market value) explicitly for the experience of being coached up by Sean Payton while working with Drew Brees. Neither Payton nor Brees are around anymore, but Carmichael is. He’s put in extensive time with Carmichael in mastering the offense and ironing out the flaws in his game, and that familiarity should go a long way in convincing Winston to stay.
But let’s not kid ourselves: he’ll have options. There will be a plethora of quarterback-needy teams across the league moving on from underperforming starters, ranging from the Pittsburgh Steelers and…
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