Saints Writer Explains The Reality With Taysom Hill

At first glance, it was difficult to understand the contract of the New Orleans Saints‘ Taysom Hill.

He is set to earn a base salary of $40 million, including $22.5 million in guaranteed money.

However, he can earn up to $95 million if he became the team’s starting quarterback over the next four seasons.

The variables of his deal are too broad which did not make sense when compared to typical NFL contracts.

However, The Times-Picayune’s Jeff Duncan explained that Hill’s contract isn’t rocket science.

The Saints moving Taysom Hill to TE is not something new. It's been in the works since last season. In fact, his new contract was structured to pay him like a tight end. Escalators were included if he ever took over and became the QB again, but the deal was essentially a TE deal.

— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) March 29, 2022

Duncan tweeted, “The Saints moving Taysom Hill to TE is not something new. It’s been in the works since last season. In fact, his new contract was structured to pay him like a tight end. Escalators were included if he ever took over and became the QB again, but the deal was essentially a TE deal.”

The Saints would like to maximize Hill’s versatility by giving him the pay he deserves based on the position he plays.

After all, he did have modest success at quarterback when Drew Brees got injured during the 2020 season.

However, current head coach Dennis Allen said that they would like Hill to focus at tight end.

If that’s the case, his $40 million base salary is right in the alley for players in the position because the franchise tag for tight ends in 2022 is around $11 million.

Winston Will Be Their Starting Quarterback

Likewise, the Saints brought back Jameis Winston after his recovery from an ACL tear.

Before the injury, Winston had a 5-2 record and was in good command of the offense.

Therefore, New Orleans would like to see if he can replicate that performance, helping them improve their postseason chances.

Otherwise, Hill can come to the rescue but they hope that they won’t resort to that scenario.