One of the more curious subplots of the Sean Payton era is continuing on without him: the fate of New Orleans Saints dynamo Taysom Hill, who found mixed success as a quarterback while lining up at a variety of other positions including tight end, slot receiver, and running back. With Dennis Allen having replaced Payton as head coach, there will be a different plan for Hill moving forwards. Allen spoke about the vision for Hill on Tuesday from NFL owners meetings in south Florida.
Allen told NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill that Hill is focused on playing tight end this season, and his contract reflects that. The $10 million per-year average from his deal ranks eleventh around the NFL for tight ends, and the $21.5 million in guarantees he received at the time of signing would be eighth-best out of the group. So he’s firmly in their plans even if he isn’t starting games at quarterback.
ESPN’s Mike Triplett adds that Allen doesn’t envision Hill “standing next to me on the sideline” with Winston starting under center, meaning the Saints will have a different backup. Right now, their other quarterbacks under contract are Ian Book and Blake Bortles. It feels likely the Saints will add a fourth passer for training camp to round out the group, possibly through the 2022 NFL draft. One of last year’s backups, Trevor Siemian, was quickly signed by the Chicago Bears in free agency.
