Saints Sign USFL Quarterback Hebert

The New Orleans Saints Wednesday night signed quarterback Bobby Hebert, a highly regarded United States Football League free agent, to five one-year contracts believed to be worth about $750,000 to $800,000 annually.

Hebert, from Cut Off, La., starred in college at Northwestern Louisiana. He played for three years in the USFL and led the Oakland Invaders to the league title game this season. In 1983, he was the league’s most valuable player with the then-champion Michigan Panthers.

Hebert is scheduled to begin working out with the Saints today. The club has five quarterbacks in camp, including last season’s starter, Richard Todd, who ended a holdout Monday, and Dave Wilson.

Saints Coach Bum Phillips, quoted earlier in the week as saying that a three-quarterback situation might pose some difficulties, said Wednesday, “I may have said it would be tough to keep three quality quarterbacks happy, but I didn’t say I couldn’t do it.”