NFL Week 3: Sean Payton unwilling to name Teddy Bridgewater as New Orleans Saints starting QB

The absence of Drew Brees will be sharply felt for the New Orleans Saints. After all, the future Hall of Fame quarterback is irreplaceable at the most important position in the NFL and, with a competitive NFC South race in the balance, there is no margin for error in New Orleans. With that as the backdrop, there has been a widespread assumption that Teddy Bridgewater would be elevated to the starting position during Brees' six-week projected recovery but, on Wednesday, head coach Sean Payton was publicly hesitant to anoint Bridgewater as the starter against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3. 

"We'll approach this game with 2 QBs," Payton said, via Rod Walker of NOLA.com. "We'll have the right plan relative to what those guys are going to be doing."

Beyond that, Payton responded to a question about Taysom Hill as the backup quarterback with push-back, telling the reporter "you're assuming he's the No. 2." It should be noted that this could be simple gamesmanship from Payton but, on the flip side, he has a well-documented affection for Hill as an offensive weapon and it is possible that there could be an extensive plan to deploy him in the role of a quarterback. 

Bridgewater was the primary option after Brees exited the Week 2 game against the Los Angeles Rams, completing 17 of 30 passes for 165 yards. The 26-year-old is a high-pedigree backup quarterback when compared to other options across the NFL and, to this point, Hill has attempted only 7 passes during his professional tenure.

The Saints have a difficult match-up in Week 3, entering Sunday's game as 4-point underdogs against Russell Wilson and the Seahawks. No matter which quarterback assumes the bulk of the snaps, New Orleans will be heavily reliant on its offensive weapons, headlined by Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas, but there appears to be more intrigue than many expected when discussing how the Saints might look offensively.