Taysom Hill prepared to leave the Saints if they don’t view him as a franchise QB

Taysom Hill has reiterated that he views himself as a quarterback, and he’s prepared to leave the New Orleans Saints if they disagree.

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What is Taysom Hill’s position? He’ll tell anyone who will listen that it’s quarterback, but more than half his snaps with the New Orleans Saints came on special teams last year. On offense, his time at receiver and tight end dwarfs his action at quarterback. But he elaborated on his stance during an interview with Rob Maaddi of The Associated Press.

“I definitely view myself as a franchise quarterback,” Hill said. “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.”

While Hill is only a restricted free agent this year (meaning the Saints will have the option to match any contract offers he receives, or keep him around on a low-cost one-year contract tender), he’s obviously casting an eye to the future. And he has to do that. Hill will be 30 when the 2020 season kicks off, and there’s no guarantee that his body will hold up to continued abuse in his current role — four of his five years at BYU ended with injuries. Unlike the 27-year-old Teddy Bridgewater, he doesn’t have the luxury of biding his time on the bench until the perfect opportunity opens up. There’s a very narrow window for Hill to cash out in, and he knows that.

So while he wouldn’t be happy in having to leave the Saints, it’s a reality Hill has already made his peace with: “I have loved every second of my time (in New Orleans). So do I want to leave? The fact of the matter is no, I don’t. But as you look at free agency, you have to find the right opportunity for you. You have to find the situation to take care of your family. I want to play quarterback in this league, and if New Orleans don’t view me that way, well then I have to leave. That’s really where we’re at.”

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