Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Ahead of Monday night’s preseason game , New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton indicated that Jameis Winston was involved in a battle with Taysom Hill to be the team’s Week 1 starting quarterback.

This isn’t a surprise. Payton has played it close to the vest during the summer. However, there’s a ton of people calling for Winston to get the opportunity to start once the regular season opens.

Those Winston supporters were rewarded early during Monday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In just his fourth pass of the game, Jameis Winston hit Marquez Callaway on a 43-yard touchdown strike. It was perfectly thrown in between two Jaguars defensive backs.

That’s what Winston brings to the table. The ability to take the top off the opposing defense. This perfectly thrown touchdown strike is a prime example of that.

In fact, an argument could be made that New Orleans’ offense struggled to generate these types of plays under the recently-retired Drew Brees over the past couple seasons. It’s a new dimension that Jameis Winston offers.

As for the game, the former No. 1 pick completed all four of his attempts for 66 yards on the opening touchdown-scoring drive.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST
Pressure mounts on Nuggets as Nikola Jokic wins third MVP Award
Jalen Brunson shakes off injury to lift Knicks to Game 2 win
Panthers dominate Bruins to even series
LSU HC pins transfer portal struggles on reluctance to 'buy players'
Pirates announce date for 2023 No. 1 overall pick's MLB debut
Shohei Ohtani showing what would happen if he only focused on hitting
Joe Burrow shares 'support' for Bengals who requested trades
Canucks erase three-goal deficit to stun Oilers in Game 1
Watch: Pacers star ties playoff high in threes in one half
Former NFL player has major warning for Steelers QB Justin Fields: 'You can't fall into this'
Watch: Brad Marchand hurdle Panthers player on Charlie Coyle goal
LeBron James rues 'missed opportunities' against Nuggets
Cardinals star gives update on timeline for injury rehab
Police investigating Patrick Beverley incident
J.J. Watt addresses possibly ending retirement to play for Texans
Inter Miami's Lionel Messi could surpass two major MLS records
Reporter weighs in on potential Giants quarterback controversy
Cowboys to release veteran WR
Lakers want Anthony Davis' opinion in search for next head coach
Patriots exec explains why team drafted two QBs in 2024 NFL Draft

Want more NFL news?

Join the hundreds of thousands of fans who start their day with Yardbarker's Morning Bark, the best newsletter in sports.