Taysom Hill has put together one of the most fascinating careers in NFL history.
He did it all for the New Orleans Saints, too, at least until this offseason in which he’s lingering in free agency.
How many players can say their Football Reference page officially lists their position as “QB-TE-WR”?
That’s Hill, and that doesn’t even quite do him justice. He also made plays on special teams, and pretty much every time he was on an NFL field, there was always a bit of suspense about what he might be called upon to do this time.
Hill spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Saints. He ran 489 times for 2,551 yards and 34 touchdowns. He caught 110 passes for 1,034 yards and 11 touchdowns. And he completed 195-of-308 passes (63.3%) for 2,426 yards and 12 touchdowns.
No player in the history of the NFL has had that combination of statistics.
Hill, now 36, may have been a candidate to return to New Orleans, but the Saints clearly have moved on from him.
So now what?
Why Is Taysom Hill Still a Free Agent?
Hill evidently has not brought out a lot of suitors since hitting free agency.
The fact that he turned 36 this summer can’t have helped.
He’s also hurt by the fact that he’s sort of his own system. If you sign Hill, you commit yourself to setting up a whole offensive structure that can allow his multi-faceted talents to thrive.
At some point, there are diminishing returns. If teams believe his overall talent has declined as he’s aged, then it can be less worthwhile to make such an addition.
For that same reason, he’s tough to bring in the closer it gets to the season, because there’s less time to install certain packages.
If Hill were to sign now, it might be for a more regimented role than he’s used to.
There’s also a chance Hill is at the heart of this matter. He may simply be contemplating whether to keep playing.
In the NFL, he only knew the Saints. It could be hard to consider a move elsewhere.
His former Saints coach, Sean Payton, was said to be considering bringing Hill to the Denver Broncos this summer, but that apparently didn’t end up happening.
Is Taysom Hill Retiring?
There’s been nothing official to suggest a retirement for Hill, but it certainly could be in the cards.
His career got started late because of his Mormon mission, and so just nine seasons in, he’s already 36 years old.
The Saints made sure to give him a good farewell at the end of last season, and while that could’ve just been about his time in New Orleans, it could’ve also hinted at the potential for a retirement.
Hill isn’t in total control of what he does next, but if he chooses to retire, he’ll do so as one of the most unique players in NFL history.
Why Taysom Hill is Still a Free Agent After Saints Decision