New Orleans Saints Quarterback Misses Another Practice

New Orleans Saints Quarterback Jameis Winston is going to have a hard time turning around his tough start to the 2021 season. The young passer missed his second straight day of practice due to back and ankle issues ahead of the team's Week 4 International Game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Saints quarterback Jameis Winston missed a second consecutive day of practice Thursday. Andy Dalton took reps with the first team offense. Taysom Hill also worked at QB again.
— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) September 29, 2022

Winston initially hurt his back in Week 1's stunning comeback against the Atlanta Falcons. He has played through the injury in the past two weeks to middling results. The quarterback threw three back-breaking interceptions in the fourth quarter in the Saints' 20-10 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he added another two picks in a frustrating 22-14 upset at the hands of the Carolina Panthers. Should his injury (or his play) necessitate him missing Week 4, Andy Dalton will replace him as the starter.

Winston's return to the first-string offense gave Saints fans plenty of reason for optimism ramping up to the 2022 regular season. The quarterback led the team to an impressive 5-2 record to open the year in 2021, including wins over the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Winston had previously limited his propensity for negative plays in his time with the Saints, tossing a mere three interceptions in his first 172 passes with the team, but the mistake-prone play that cost him his job in Tampa is back in full force this season. The former first-overall pick has thrown a league-high five interceptions through three weeks and fumbled three times.