New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill (7) plays in an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, in Atlanta. Saints head coach Dennis Allen said Hill will primarily focus on playing tight end moving forward.
Danny Karnik, Associated Press
With Sean Payton no longer head coach of the New Orleans Saints, Taysom Hill’s opportunities as an NFL quarterback appear to be limited, if not over.
New Saints head coach Dennis Allen said Hill will focus on playing tight end, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.
“A lot more of the F tight end, move tight end type of role,” Allen said Tuesday during the NFL’s annual league meeting in Palm Beach, Florida. “I think that’s the direction that we need to move with him, cause I think he can be one of the better players in the league in that role.”
Will Taysom Hill still be used as a utility player?
While being listed as a quarterback on the Saints’ roster the past five seasons, Hill, the former BYU dual-threat quarterback, has played a variety of positions for New Orleans as a utility player.
During his time playing for Payton, the 31-year-old Hill played quarterback, tight end, wide receiver, running back and has even been a special teams ace.
At times, Hill served as the team’s primary backup the past two seasons — first to Drew Brees two years ago, then to Jameis Winston and Trevor Siemian last year. That limited the opportunities to use Hill in other utility positions.
Hill started nine games at quarterback over the past two seasons, going 7-2 as a starter while throwing for 1,906 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions during that stretch.
He’s also rushed for 831 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Allen, though, appears to want to get Hill out of being a backup quarterback option to better utilize his skill set.
“If Jameis is out there playing quarterback, I don’t like Taysom standing next to me on the sideline,” Allen said. “I think you’ll see him more in that type of role.”
Further evidence of moving Hill away from the QB position came Tuesday, as the Saints reportedly signed veteran quarterback Andy Dalton to a one-year deal worth up to $6 million with $3 million guaranteed, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
How does Taysom Hill fit into the New Orleans Saints’ plans?
Hill is under contract with New Orleans through 2025 after agreeing to a contract extension last year that was incentivized to pay out more if he were to win the starting quarterback position.
Recently, the Saints restructured his contract, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.
Hill is also recovering from a Lisfranc injury to his left foot and isn’t expected to be ready for the start of the 2022 season.
Last week, the Saints brought back Winston on a two-year deal worth a reported $28 million with $21 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport.
Winston started seven games for New Orleans last year, going 5-2 as the starter, before tearing his ACL.
In those seven games, he threw for 1,170 yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions.
“I think Jameis gives us some stability at the position,” Allen said. “I thought there was a lot of things we saw Jameis do in those first seven weeks (last year) that gave us a lot of optimism about what we can be as a team with him.”
The Saints currently have four tight ends under contract on the active roster, including Adam Trautman, Nick Vannett, Juwan Johnson and Dylan Soehner.
Hill has played some tight end for the Saints and has 34 career receptions for 388 yards and seven touchdowns.
Much of that production as a receiver came in 2019, when Hill caught 19 passes for 234 yards and six touchdowns.
Taysom Hill switching from quarterback to tight end for New Orleans Saints
Source: Gabriella Pinoys
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