One full week separates us from the New Orleans Saints season opener against the Arizona Cardinals. Versatile offensive weapon Taysom Hill has worn No. 7 for the Saints since 2017. Unfortunately, Hill will start the 2025 campaign on the Physically Unable to Perform list (PUP) because of a knee injury. While his exact return is unclear, we know he’ll be a big part of the offense once he comes back. Until then, he’s a look through his football career to date as our Saints Player of the Day.
- Name (age): Taysom Hill (35)
- Hometown: Pocatello, Idaho
- Position: Tight end
- Height, weight: 6-foot-2, 221 pounds
- College: BYU Cougars
- Relative Athletic Score: 9.6
- Drafted: Undrafted in 2017 (Green Bay Packers)
- NFL experience: 8 years
- 2025 salary cap hit: $17,986, 500
A football and track star at Highland High School, Hill was the Idaho Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior. After completing a Mormon LDS mission, he’d choose Brigham Young University over several other offers. Hill began his freshman year of 2012 as a backup quarterback that was used on short yardage packages, a glimpse into his NFL future. Before sustaining a season-ending injury though, he’d wind up making a couple starts at quarterback and in six total games accounted for 8 touchdowns.
Hill was the Cougars starting quarterback by 2013. He threw for 2,938 yards with 19 touchdowns and rushed for an incredible 1,344 yards and 10 scores while leading all independent schools in completions but also in throwing 14 interceptions. Injuries plagued Hill over his next two seasons after that. A broken leg cost him all but five games in 2014, then a Lisfranc injury suffered in the 2015 season opener knocked him out for the entire year. Hill returned as the BYU starting quarterback in 2016, but missed the Cougars bowl game with an elbow injury. During the regular season, he’d complete 59.7% of his throws for 2,323 yards with 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while adding 603 yards and 8 scores on the ground.
Unchosen in the 2017 NFL draft, Hill was signed by the Green Bay Packers. He played reasonably well as a backup quarterback in preseason, but was nonetheless among Green Bay’s final cuts. New Orleans scooped him up quickly. While he didn’t see any offensive action during the regular season, Hill did volunteer for special teams duty and got a few offensive reps during the playoffs. Recognizing what a unique athlete he had, Saints coach Sean Payton began using Hill in some special offensive packages in 2018. For the next seven years starting that season, Hill’s versatility, speed, and physicality would torture NFL defenses.
Taysom Hill has been the second most effective runner for the New Orleans offense over the last several years. He’s rushed for 2,437 yards and 33 touchdowns, averaging 5.6 per carry. Hill also developed as a receiver after his first few years, catching 99 passes for 943 yards and 11 scores from various points in the formation. As a quarterback, Hill has gotten nine starting opportunities and has a 7-2 record. He’s also gotten several snaps from that position in packages designed for him in the weekly game plans. As a passer, Hill has a 63.9% completion percentage with 2,369 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. He’s been a consistent factor on special teams as a gunner, punt protector, and even as a kickoff returner.
Officially listed as a tight end now, Hill typically gets reps there along with running back, fullback, slot receiver, and quarterback every week. Expect new coach Kellen Moore to continue Hill’s usage those ways and more once he’s healthy. Unfortunately, Hill begins the 2025 season on the PUP list while rehabbing an injury. You can be sure that the Saints are counting down the days until he can again be a multidimensional threat for their offense.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Countdown to Kickoff: Taysom Hill is the Saints Player of Day 7
