Saints 'comfortable' if Jameis Winston sits all preseason after ACL tear

New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston hasn't played against a live opposing defense since he went down with a torn ACL and damage to his MCL last Halloween. He also suffered a right foot sprain during a practice earlier this month that has sidelined him for the club's preseason games against the Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers that the Saints lost. 

Per Katherine Terrell of ESPN, Saints head coach Dennis Allen suggested while speaking with reporters on Monday that Winston will remain a spectator through this coming Friday's preseason finale versus the Los Angeles Chargers held at Caesars Superdome.

"We'll see. If that's the way it plays out, then yeah, I'm comfortable with it," Allen said of Winston only returning to action for the regular-season opener at the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 11. "We'll see how things play out over the next few days."

Winston returned to the practice field for seven-on-seven drills on Sunday and then participated in 11-on-11 drills at the start of the workweek. Allen admitted his QB1 looked "a little rusty" on the first day back for 11-on-11 action. 

Before his injury last October, Winston completed 59 percent of his passes for 1,170 yards with 14 touchdowns and three interceptions. The Saints won five of the seven games he started. 

Veteran Andy Dalton, signed by the Saints this spring, has temporarily shifted to the top of the depth chart in Winston's absence and presumably would start at Atlanta if the 28-year-old couldn't play for any reason.