New Orleans Saints: Sean Payton talks Taysom Hill’s contract situation
New Orleans Saints’ Taysom Hill is a remarkable athlete, but will the team be able to retain the highly coveted and versatile star?
So remarkable, in fact, he has been used at quarterback, running back, and receiver during his time with the New Orleans Saints. This versatility has caught the attention of millions of fans and more importantly the eyes of many front offices across the NFL.
His talent was on full effect in the Saints’ final game of the season, a 26-20 NFC Wild Card loss against the Minnesota Vikings. He set up the Saints’ first score of the game by completing his only pass, a 50-yard completion to undrafted rookie Deonte Harris.
He was also New Orleans’ leading rusher with four carries totaling 50 yards, and he caught two passes for 25 yards and a touchdown. Many agree he was New Orleans best player on either side of the ball in the win-or-go-home game.
It is no secret how much of an asset Hill is to the Saints and how talented he is. The 29-year-old could not have performed better in his final game heading into the 2020 offseason where he will become an restricted free agent, making him one of the most intriguing names in the market.
Hill has great confidence in his abilities. In an interview with Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press, the rising star stated that he views himself as a 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.”"
Moving into free agency and with the recent news of franchise QB Drew Brees announcing his return for the 2020 campaign, head coach Sean Payton told media that he believes Hill’s contract will take more work than Brees’ due to the unique situation of Hill’s play style and the longevity of Brees’ career.
Payton mentioned the two ways the Saints may go about the situation: re-signing him or never being able to reach that objective. Here’s exactly what Payton said to WWL Radio via NOLA.com’s Amie Just.
"“If he was unsigned prior to the league year, I would anticipate us really paying close attention to that and looking at that first-round tender. That’ll take some time, relative to his contract because it’s unique in what he’s doing now and what we feel like he can be and what he can do when Drew does retire. So, that will probably take a little more work than the contract that Mickey [Loomis] does with Drew.”"
It is clear the Saints organization recognizes the talent they have in Hill, but it is also clear that Hill recognizes his own abilities as well.
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As of now, each side is playing it day by day, but regardless of how it turns out, Saints’ fans should be excited for the endless amount of possibilities for the future.