New Orleans Saints: Taysom Hill want to be a franchise QB

After March 18 rings in, the New Orleans Saints will not have a quarterback on their roster as all three are up for new contracts.

All three could potentially leave the New Orleans Saints for better opportunities. Drew Brees would likely retire rather than opting to play elsewhere, but both Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill could find their way to new homes.

That’s not saying either necessarily want to though. The problem is that both want to stay in New Orleans and both want to be franchise quarterbacks. Well, both late in their 20s, there will only be one future of the Saints, and it could still easily be Drew Brees.

That said, a restricted free agent, Taysom Hill, is looking to take that next step. While he showed versatility, playing tight end, wide receiver, and quarterback among other positions, his fit as a full-time starting quarterback is up in the air.

Don’t tell him that though, as he viewing himself as a full-time, franchise quarterback.

“I definitely view myself as a franchise quarterback. I think as you look at the other questions: Is it New Orleans? Is it somewhere else? As you go into free agency, this is the time that you start to find out how people view you. We haven’t gotten into free agency long enough to really know how these guys view me and we’ll just handle it as it comes,” Hill said in a recent interview with the Associated Press’ Rob Maaddi.

Hill should be able to get that franchise quarterback tag if he wants it. But, after attempting just one pass while Drew Brees was sidelined with a thumb injury this past season, it seems unlikely he’d return as the Saints’ No. 1 option.

If that’s the case, don’t be surprised if Hill finds himself a new home.

“I want to play quarterback in this league, and if New Orleans don’t view me that way, well then I have to leave. That’s really where we’re at,” Hill continued with.

Hill threw seven passes in all of the 2019 regular season. He completed four with the longest going for a 50-yard gain. Give him the opportunity and some think he could be Lamar Jackson while others doubt he could truly lead a franchise.

At the end of the day, Hill is a restricted free agent so it’ll be the Saints who control his destiny. But, do they even believe in him as a full-time, franchise QB?