METAIRIE, La. — While the New Orleans Saints are closing in on a deal with quarterback Jameis Winston, they doubled down on their investment in current backup Taysom Hill.
The Saints are signing Hill to a two-year deal, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter, which will take the place of the one-year, $4.641 million tender they had previously offered him as a restricted free agent. The deal is worth $21 million, including $16 million fully guaranteed at signing, plus $1 million more in performance incentives.
Hill, 29, did not sign an offer sheet with any other NFL teams before last week’s deadline for restricted free agents, which gave the Saints exclusive negotiating rights. Depending on how they structure the new deal, they could create some extra salary-cap space to help make room for Winston.
Regardless of Winston’s pending arrival, Saints coach Sean Payton has made it clear that he believes the versatile Hill could potentially succeed Drew Brees as New Orleans’ starting quarterback. But in the meantime, part of the reason the Saints are interested in adding a veteran QB like Winston is so that they can continue to use Hill in his vital role as a QB/RB/WR/TE/FB/special-teams standout.
“Taysom’s earned this opportunity to be our 2 [at quarterback],” Payton told WWL Radio last month after former Saints backup Teddy Bridgewater signed with the rival Carolina Panthers. “But he also has earned the opportunity to play and help us win football games as a ‘one.’ And what I mean by that — whether you call him a receiver, a tight end, a specialist, also a quarterback — yeah, he’s gonna play.
“He’s too good a football player [not to be on the field]. He’s one of our better football players.”
Hill has only attempted 15 passes in his three-year NFL career — including a 50-yard completion in New Orleans’ 26-20 playoff loss to Minnesota in January. He is 7-of-15 passing for 169 yards with zero touchdowns and one interception.
But the 6-foot-2, 221-pounder has run for 410 yards and three touchdowns, including the playoffs. And he has caught 25 passes for 265 yards and eight touchdowns, including the playoffs.
Hill’s best game was arguably his most recent one — that playoff loss to the Vikings, when he completed the 50-yard pass, ran the ball four times for 50 yards and caught two passes for 25 yards, including a touchdown.
Hill told Schefter earlier this offseason that he planned to consider his options in free agency, but that he was “in no hurry to leave New Orleans.”
“As I look at my career, I have goals and I have a vision for myself as to what I can be in the NFL,” said Hill, who has always made it clear that he wants to be a starting NFL quarterback. “And there has been nothing that has been said, or I’ve never been treated in any way that would lead me to believe that the vision I have for myself is not the same vision that Coach Payton has for me, as well as the other guys on staff.”
Hill got a late start to his NFL career since he went on a two-year church mission to Australia after high school, then spent five years at BYU, where he suffered a total of four season-ending injuries. But he was impressive enough as a dual-threat QB at BYU to finish his career with 6,929 passing yards, 43 TD passes, 2,815 rushing yards and 32 rushing TDs. And he began his NFL career as an undrafted rookie with the Green Bay Packers in 2017 before the Saints claimed him off waivers on cut-down day.
