Taysom Hill Says Goodbye to the Saints After Nine Seasons

Caption: Taysom Hill with the New Orleans Saints in 2018. Credit: Jeffrey Beall, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.

Hill’s Departure Was Not a Normal Roster Move

Taysom Hill said goodbye to New Orleans after nine seasons in which the Saints asked him to play quarterback, running back, tight end, receiver and special teams. His departure ends one of the NFL’s most unusual long-term experiments.

Hill became a free agent in March and did not report to training camp with the Saints. His farewell message made clear that a return to New Orleans is not expected, even though his broader NFL future remains uncertain.

The Saints Built Roles Around One Player

Most players survive by becoming excellent at one position. Hill remained valuable because coaches could use him in several jobs without warning the defense what was coming.

He took direct snaps, threw passes, ran designed quarterback power plays, caught the ball and covered kicks. That versatility forced opponents to prepare for formations that did not fit the normal categories on a depth chart.

His Career Produced a Statistical Combination of Its Own

Hill finished his Saints run with more than 2,400 rushing yards, more than 2,400 passing yards and more than 1,000 receiving yards. He became the first player in the Super Bowl era to reach that combination.

The numbers are not comparable to a full-time quarterback or feature running back, and that is the point. Hill’s career cannot be evaluated cleanly through one positional standard because no one else was asked to build the same resume.

Injuries Complicated the Final Seasons

Hill’s physical style created memorable plays but also exposed him to repeated contact. Injuries limited his final two seasons and made the question of another NFL opportunity more difficult as he approached age 36.

A team interested in Hill would need to decide whether his unique package still outweighs the health risk and the roster space required for a player without one fixed position.

Forever a Saint May Be the Final Answer

The Saints and former quarterback Drew Brees joined the farewell with tributes to Hill’s leadership and willingness to accept any assignment. Hill closed his own statement with the words ‘Forever a Saint.’

He may still sign elsewhere, but the identity created in New Orleans will be difficult to reproduce. Hill leaves as a player whose greatest achievement was making an unusual job last for nine seasons.

References: New York Post | Deseret News