Taysom Hill may go down as the greatest gadget player in NFL history and still not be fully appreciated by non-New Orleans Saints fans. The truth is those who are fans of the team got to witness one of the most unique careers of the generation. Hill's latest achievement only reinforces that.
There was a point where fans of other teams kept pointing to Taysom Hill's contract. "You paid $40 million for someone to not play quarterback," was the frequent taunt without understanding the structure of the contract. Jabs like that took the focus away from his multiplicity and placed it on whether or not he deserved his pay. The truth is Hill unique skillset made it difficult to place him in one positional box.
After the game, Hill got emotional thinking about what it could mean for this to be his last home game in a Saints uniform. As he reflects upon his time in New Orleans, we reflect upon his career by looking at Hill's latest achievement.
Taysom Hill sets NFL history in possibly his last Saints game
Hill needed 34 yards coming into the game to cross 1000 receiving yards in his career. He finished with four catches for 36 yards on the day. Making it passed the century mark is a huge accomplishment, and it made Hill the only player in NFL history, during the Super Bowl era, to record 1000 yards passing, receiving and rushing in their career.
Whether you want to call him a gadget player, positionless or a Swiss Army Knife, Hill has been called it all over his nearly decade long career. The truth is he's the Wildcat formation instilled in a player. The final score of the game came on a deep shot from Hill to Olave.With the Saints dripping the clock and everyone waiting for the run, Kellen Moore dialed up a pass, and Hill hit Olave with no one around.
This stat represents who Hill is, and so did this week's game. He led the Saints in rushing, had a receiving touchdown taken off the board and ended the day with a passing touchdown. This was the epitome of a Taysom Hill game.