Taysom Hill says he’s healthy enough to play

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton hasn’t declared the starting quarterback for Thursday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys, but Taysom Hill wants the job.

Hill is reportedly dealing with pain caused by a partially torn plantar fascia in his foot. His foot injury has kept him sidelined for the last two games, but he’s been able to fully participate in practices this week.

On Tuesday, one reporter asked Hill a straightforward yes-or-no question, and Hill had a very succinct response.

Hill’s confident answer suggests he’s trending toward playing in Week 13, but his coach clearly still has reservations.

Hill spoke a bit about his injury in Tuesday’s press conference:

"“I had a partial [tear], which after learning about, they said you’d rather have a full tear. I think that’s been what we’ve been working through in terms of pain management and tolerance. That’s been the challenge. I think we’re just getting to the point where I’m going to be dealing with pain. It’s just getting to the point where it doesn’t limit functionality.”"

New Orleans Saints’ Taysom Hill believe he can start at QB vs. Cowboys

The versatile Swiss-Army man has a history of replacing injured starters — in 2020, Hill started at quarterback in four games when Brees was out. Hill went 3-1 and helped the team win two important games against the Atlanta Falcons.

Fun fact: in Week 13 of last year, Hill threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns, recording the first passing touchdowns of his career. (He also carried the ball 14 times for a career-high 83 rushing yards.)

Could Hill pull off another special performance in this year’s Week 13 against the Cowboys?

The Saints’ offense doesn’t have much to lose at this point, having gone 0-4 under Siemian and crashing out of the playoff picture.

Star running back Alvin Kamara should be healthy enough to play on Thursday, but New Orleans will need more than a solid running game to beat a reinvigorated Dallas side.

Hill’s status for the game will likely be confirmed after Wednesday’s practice.