A Closer Look at Saints QB Trevor Siemian

After an impressive performance off the bench against the Buccaneers, what can New Orleans expect out of quarterback Trevor Siemian?

Bob Rose | Nov 3, 2021

Not surprisingly, the trade deadline came and went without the New Orleans Saints making a deal for a quarterback. It was only a debate among some because of a season-ending knee injury to QB Jameis Winston in last weeks win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Saints will run their offense for the rest of the year with Trevor Siemian, Taysom Hill, and rookie Ian Book at the quarterback position.

Hill has missed the last two games with a concussion that has his status in question for this Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons. He went 3-1 as a starter last year when starter Drew Brees was sidelined by injury.

Siemian entered the game when Winston went down and played well under difficult circumstances against the Buccaneers. He completed 16 of 29 throws for 159 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions, engineering two touchdown drives.

The 6’3” and 220-Lb. Siemian, who turns 30 in December, is in his seventh NFL season. Here’s a closer look at his career.

SIEMIAN: 2015-2017

11/13/16; Denver Broncos QB Trevor Siemian (13) lines up against the New Orleans Saints. Credit: Crescent City Sports

Trevor Siemian entered the league as a seventh-round choice out of Northwestern by the Denver Broncos in the 2015 NFL Draft. He was the 250th out of 256 selections in the same draft where Jameis Winston was taken with the first overall pick.

As a third-string quarterback for Denver as a rookie, he played just one snap for a Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50. Future Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning retired after the 2015 season. Siemian was tabbed as his successor, beating out veteran Mark Sanchez for the job in preseason.

Siemian won his first four starts for Denver in 2016. He completed 67% of his passes with six touchdowns and three interceptions while averaging 252 yards over that span.

After suffering a shoulder injury that sidelined him for one game, he played through the injury for the rest of the year. He wasn't nearly as effective after the injury.

Siemian went 8-6 as a starter for the Broncos in 2016, throwing for 3,401 yards with 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

One of those starts was in the Superdome against the New Orleans Saints. Siemian out-dueled Drew Brees in that game, overcoming six sacks to throw for 258 yards and 2 touchdowns in a controversial Denver victory.

The 2017 season was a bigger struggle for both Siemian and the Broncos. He was just 5-5 as a starter, throwing for 2,285 yards and 12 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. Siemian was often under heavy pressure with Denver. In 24 games as the Broncos quarterback, he was sacked 64 times.

Denver had a quarterback carousel of Siemian, 2016 first-round pick Paxton Lynch, and returning free-agent Brock Osweiler through 2017. They’d bring in 2017 playoff hero Case Keenum to be their starter in 2018, trading Siemian to the Minnesota Vikings.

Siemian finished his Denver career with 5,686 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 24 interceptions. He was 13-11 as a starter and completed 59% of his attempts, with four outings of over 300 yards.

SIEMIAN: 2018-2020

Sep 16, 2019; Jets quarterback Trevor Siemian (19) scrambles with the ball against the Cleveland Browns. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Minnesota traded a fifth-round draft pick to Denver to acquire Siemian. He’d serve as a backup to Kirk Cousins in 2018, but did not see any action. He left the Vikings after the season, signing a free-agent deal with the New York Jets to back up rookie QB Sam Darnold.

When Darnold was diagnosed with mononucleosis after the opening game, Siemian would step in to start his first game in nearly two years. Early in a week 2 game against the Cleveland Browns, he suffered an ankle injury that would end his season. He had completed three of six pass attempts for 3 yards, getting sacked twice.

Siemian was on the move again after 2019. He signed a one-year deal with the Tennessee Titans, where he served on the practice squad for most of the year.

The Saints signed Siemian off Tennessee's practice squad in December 2020 to add depth down the stretch of the year. After the season, he was signed to a reserve/futures deal by New Orleans.

Siemian was released by the Saints at the end of preseason, but re-signed just days later. He had been the game day backup to Jameis Winston in all seven games this season.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Trevor Siemian (15) passes against Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Saints coach Sean Payton has yet not announced whether Taysom Hill or Trevor Siemian will be the starting quarterback when New Orleans hosts Atlanta this Sunday. The 5-2 Saints currently have the league's 31st ranked passing offense, averaging 181 yards per game through the air.

Siemian has had some success as a starter and has had nearly a year to learn the Saints offense. If asked to be the backup, he showed poise, toughness, and the ability to execute the game plan in a pinch against a formidable Buccaneers defense.

SIEMIAN: 2015-2017

SIEMIAN: 2018-2020

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