Sean Payton Explains What's Holding Up a Taysom Hill Decision

The Denver Broncos are exploring the possibility of signing former New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill. The Saints released him before training camp, and if he still has a fire in his belly to keep playing, Sean Payton sounds like he'd be interested in rekindling things with Hill, a relationship that paid some dividends in New Orleans.

Hill scored 45 touchdowns as a receiver or rusher in his nine years in New Orleans, but where would he fit in with the Broncos? And what kind of money would he be looking for?

The Broncos would need good answers to those questions, but to Payton, that would be putting the cart before the horse.

First things first: does Hill even want to keep playing?

"There's no hurry right now," Payton said on Monday about potentially signing Hill. "I'll see him in about five days, and we'll see where he's at before making any decisions."

Does the Fire Still Burn?

New York Jets defensive tackle Khalen Saunders (99) attempts to tackle New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill (7). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Payton will be traveling to Canton, Ohio, to serve as Brees's intro man for the legendary quarterback's Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement. Many of Brees's old Saints teammates and coaches will also be there in support, including Hill, from what it sounds like.

Payton will get his opportunity to chat with Hill, and get a feel for what he's actually looking to do. Does Hill still have that spark? I would be surprised if he doesn't, and beyond that, I can only imagine how exciting the prospect of reuniting with Payton in Denver on a championship-caliber Broncos squad might be for Hill.

The Saints had a lot of success during Hill's time there with Payton as head coach, but he never got to experience a Super Bowl, let alone win one. That opportunity would very much be on the table if he were to continue his playing career with the Broncos, even for just one season.

Hill is a bit of a unicorn. He went undrafted in 2017 but entered the NFL as a quarterback, first with the Green Bay Packers, then with the Saints. While Drew Brees was still healthy and playing, Hill was used mostly as a Wildcat-style quarterback, although, eventually, due to injuries, Payton had to play Hill under center.

Many Broncos fans will remember that brutal Week 14 game in 2020 when the Saints came to town, and the NFL barred all of Denver's actual quarterbacks from playing for violating the league's policies at the time about the pandemic and the virus. That was the game that wide receiver Kendall Hinton played the quarterback snaps for Denver.

Not long after that, though, Payton started using Hill as a wide receiver and all-around gadget weapon. After Payton stepped down at the end of the 2021 season, the Saints transitioned Hill to tight end, which is where he's specialized the past few years.

Trautman's Take on Hill

Meanwhile, the Broncos have a logjam at tight end, with two new 2026 draft picks vying for a seat at the table, which means that Hill would crowd things up even more if he were signed. Following Monday's practice, tight end Adam Trautman was asked about the possibility of his former Saints teammate joining the Broncos.

"Taysom is extremely unique, and he was one of my friends in New Orleans. He’s obviously very talented and can do just about everything," Trautman said. "He’s the true definition of a Swiss Army knife. We’ll see what happens because that decision is in the hands of the front office, but if he came here, he would be a great addition and would fit the culture really well."

Indeed, Hill would gel with the Broncos' locker room, but Jaylen Waddle's arrival created a new premium mouth to feed, and it seems to have sparked the Broncos' other wide receivers, as young vets like Pat Bryant and Marvin Mims Jr. have started out training camp with a bang, not to mention tight end Evan Engram running around making plays like a featured weapon.

The Takeaway

Hill is about to turn 36 years old, but he's a young 36. He started his collegiate football career late, after serving a two-year LDS mission, and on top of that, he's never been a full-time player at the NFL level, though he's lived the life of a pro, with all the accompanying demands and physical attrition, for nine years.

Time will tell how it shakes out, but if the Broncos sign Hill, it'll be because he's still competively motivated, and they'll have an offensive role figured out for him — hopefully one that complements the offense and gives Bo Nix another playmaking weapon with which to attack opponents.

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