Taysom Hill is no longer going to be playing quarterback for the New Orleans Saints.
At the NFL meetings this week, new New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen officially laid to rest the Sean Payton fever dream of employing Taysom Hill as a quarterback in any capacity.
With Payton retiring from coaching, his former defensive coordinator is now calling the shots in the Big Easy. While it was evident Hill never had any long-term viability of playing quarterback professionally at the highest level, Payton was dead set on proving everyone wrong. Though the 30-something former run-first BYU quarterback has value, it is not under center for the Saints.
Jameis Winston will be the Saints’ starting quarterback this year, and possibly next, and added Andy Dalton to be his backup. That means the Taysom Hill fever dream is over, with Hill going the Logan Thomas/Tim Tebow route of transitioning from an inaccurate college quarterback to a “converted” NFL tight end.
Taysom Hill will try to be what Tim Tebow could not be in the NFL at tight end
This is really simple. Because Payton had the built-up equity with Who Dat Nation and the NFL at-large, he could employ a limited passer like Hill at quarterback as he deemed fit. But with Payton retiring and likely heading to a broadcasting booth or a studio set, Allen does not have the benefit of the doubt to use Hill in this manner. He already bombed in his first run as an NFL head coach.
Not only that, but this offseason puts immense pressure on offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. The offense falls on him with Payton out of the building. If he really wanted to give it a try with Hill at quarterback, he could, but there is a very slim margin for error with this revamped Saints staff. Thus, the Saints will be way more conservative because they can no longer lean on Payton.
If Hill can contribute on special teams, in the receiving game as a tight end, or running the Wildcat in some instances, that would be wonderful. However, the Saints are no longer in a position where they can try to reinvent the wheel at quarterback. With the NFC South being so terrible, they can absolutely make the playoffs as a wild card team at 10-7 as long as Winston remains the starter.
The only thing being crushed more than Hill’s dreams at the NFL meetings is his bank account.