Saints Bringing Back Jameis Winston After Missing Out On Watson

New Orleans' prayers have been answered.

ESPN's Adam Schefter announced on Friday that the Saints are leaning on bringing back QB Jameis Winston.

After missing out on their bid for Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson (a new addition to the Cleveland Browns), the Saints are opting for their best option on the free-agent market.

Winston spent seven games as the Saints' starting quarterback until a Week 8 ACL tear against his former team (Buccaneers) sidelined him for the rest of the year.

Winston had a modest campaign as Drew Brees' unofficial heir last season: throwing for 1,170 yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions. He also built up a QB rating of 102.8 in his seven-game stretch.

The QB left a strong impression on Saints general manager Mickey Loomis, who sounded enthused about bringing back Jameis after signing him only for one season.

"Jameis is an option for us, and we hope we're an option for Jameis," responded Loomis at the 2022 NFL Combine. Loomis previously signed Winston to two separate one-year contracts since the QB left Tampa Bay.

The former No. 1 overall pick brings more experience under center than reserves Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian. Despite his knack for pick-6's and questionable hype-circle theatrics, the 28-year-old Winston is seen as an experimental QB with enough faculties to become a full-time starting (and winning) quarterback eventually.

New Orleans holds the 18th-overall pick in the 2022 draft and may still select a rookie QB to sit behind Winston.

Winston is reportedly being eyed by the Indianapolis Colts.

Follow along on Twitter: @AlejandroAveela