First-year New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen envisions the team utilizing Taysom Hill in a do-it-all sort of role again, once the former BYU quarterback is healthy and back on the field.
On Thursday, the veteran coach called Hill “a weapon in a lot of different areas” when asked about the sixth-year pro, who was at the Saints facility this past week during the team’s minicamp while he rehabilitates his injuries, according to NOLA.com’s Luke Johnson.
Hill suffered a Lisfranc injury to his left foot in the Saints’ season finale last year, and he also dealt with injuries like a concussion and a mallet finger injury during the 2021 season. He isn’t expected to be ready for the start of the 2022 season.
Even with his absence, Allen made it clear there is a future for Hill — who is signed with the team through 2025 — in New Orleans’ plans.
“We talk all the time about position-less players on defense. I don’t know if position-less is the right word for Taysom; (he’s) a multiple position player,” Allen said, per NOLA.com.
“I look at him as a weapon in the passing game. I look at him as a weapon playing at the quarterback position. I look at him with the ball in his hands. I look at him on special teams and a lot of different areas.”
Hill has largely served as a jack-of-all-trades for the Saints since the team signed him off waivers back in 2017.
He had the opportunity last season to replace future Hall of Famer Drew Brees as New Orleans’ starting quarterback following his retirement, but was beat out for the role by Jameis Winston.
Now, Allen has made it clear this is Winston’s offense to lead.
In March, Allen said Hill would focus on playing at tight end, one year after he started five of the team’s final six games at quarterback after Winston suffered a season-ending injury and fellow quarterback Trevor Siemian failed to generate enough offense.
Brees said he hopes the team, which signed veteran quarterback Andy Dalton to back up Winston, still finds ways to use Hill as a quarterback going forward.
“I still am a believer that Taysom should be playing 10-15 snaps at quarterback a game at a minimum, just with the threat he is. I know he’s so valuable in so many other ways. I think they’re pretty set at quarterback, if you ask me,” Brees told NOLA.com.
Hill is no stranger to finding whatever way he can to contribute: In addition to quarterback, he’s lined up at running back, tight end, wide receiver and on special teams for New Orleans over the past five seasons.
“There’s a ton of places where Taysom Hill can help this team win, and we want to utilize him in all those different roles,” Allen said.