NFL Executive: Wouldn’t Be Shocked To See Saints Move Forward With Taysom Hill At QB
Jan 9, 2020, 3:07 PM
Taysom Hill #7 of the New Orleans Saints celebrates a touchdown during the second half of a game against the Arizona Cardinals at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on October 27, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Is it possible that Sean Payton and the New Orleans Saints could make Taysom Hill their starting quarterback next season?
One NFC executive believes that is possible.
There's no one like @Saints QB Taysom Hill. 🙌@T_Hill4 | #Saints pic.twitter.com/3jCbynY9ON
— NFL (@NFL) January 9, 2020
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler spoke with NFL executives and coaches asking them for their predictions for the 2020 NFL season. The NFC executive had this to say about the former BYU star quarterback.
“Wouldn’t come as a total shock to see Sean Payton move forward with Taysom Hill as the starting QB,” one NFC exec said. “Sean [Payton] always has been intrigued by athletic quarterbacks and how to utilize them. Taysom is a talented guy.”
THE SWISS ARMY KNIFE.
Taysom Hill's 2019 season highlights are majestic.@T_Hill4 🔥 @Saints pic.twitter.com/SsgUW2KAF6
— NFL UK (@NFLUK) January 8, 2020
Hill enters the 2020 offseason as a restricted free agent and it would appear that the Saints are willing to do whatever is necessary to keep the do-it-all quarterback. But to move away from a future Hall of Famer and Super Bowl-winning quarterback in Drew Brees for Hill who has only thrown 13 passes would seem to be a bit of a stretch. But it’s not out of the realm of possibility.
Hill made $556,667 to Brees’ $25,000,000 this past season. Taysom’s salary would be far cheaper in 2020 than the money that Brees would potentially command in his last contract before retirement.
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In the Saints final game of the season against the Vikings in the playoffs, Taysom had one of his best performances of his NFL career by becoming the first player in NFL Playoff history to throw for 50+ yards, run for 50+, and receive 25+ yards.
If Hill became a starter for the Saints at quarterback, it would mark the first time since John Beck started for the Washington Redskins in 2011 that a BYU quarterback started in an NFL game.
Teams can start filing qualifying offers to restricted free agents beginning on March 18th, when the new league calendar begins for the NFL.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12-3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
