Taysom Hill is 31 years old and has been the New Orleans Saints tight end, H-back, quarterback combo for the past five seasons. He has 1,291 combined rushing and receiving yards in that span, with seven touchdowns, and is 101-of-142 as a passer for 1,103 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions as a passer.
There is some value to what Taysom Hill brings to the Saints team, but the strange obsession Sean Payton and the Saints have with trying to make him a thing baffles most NFL viewers — and many Saints fans. They also keep handing Hill contracts that pay him, potentially, like a quarterback despite him not having ever won the starting QB job despite this offseason his top competition being Jameis Winston, who is certainly a talented QB but even the most ardent Winston supporters would have him in the league average starter realm.
So, when Adam Schefter brought word of a new contract extension for Hill in New Orleans that includes a weird “hybrid” model that could pay him more if he plays QB, everyone was stunned this was happening again.
New Orleans’ QB Taysom Hill signed a unique four-year, hybrid-type of contract extension that could be worth anywhere between $40 million and $95 million, depending on the position he plays, and includes $22.5 million guaranteed, sources tell ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 22, 2021
The real answer involves some cap gymnastics and paying him out at a base of $10 million a year, with just that $22.5 guaranteed, which isn’t horrible, but still eyebrow raising.
Translation: The Saints didn’t want to take an automatic $8.9M dead cap hit when Hill’s current contract automatically voided, so they extend him to essentially two more years of his current pay to keep the active & dead cap spread out, while keeping a valuable player in tow. https://t.co/LMTe2kMPm2
— Spotrac (@spotrac) November 22, 2021
Still, that didn’t stop fans and media from having plenty of jokes about the Saints handing Hill yet another potentially huge contract, despite him quite clearly not being the answer at quarterback. A popular theory among fans is that Hill is, in fact, a money laundering scheme for the Saints that will one day come to light.
the saints are laundering money through taysom hill some how. only explanation. https://t.co/LlGsG2Zooq
— Steven Ruiz (@theStevenRuiz) November 22, 2021
"Taysom Hill's contract is actually just a laundering scheme to keep us under the salary cap. We have actually only paid him four dollars this year," statement I am soon expecting from the Saints https://t.co/q0LDsDoXN6
— John Breech (@johnbreech) November 22, 2021
Taysom Hill is just an NFT at this point and is essentially a money laundering service. I'm convinced. https://t.co/UaNlWR8pEi
— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) November 22, 2021
Somehow the Saints never entering salary cap hell is entirely explained by Taysom Hill's contracts. https://t.co/ywS30smXHb
— Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) November 22, 2021
This only makes sense if it's some sort of bizarre cap-laundering scheme that allows the Saints to bag Aaron Rodgers next year. https://t.co/ng4FgI9jru
— Doug Farrar
(@NFL_DougFarrar) November 22, 2021
Others are just baffled that we are still doing this with Hill, despite Trevor Siemian starting over him recently — which has been, in part, due to Hill coming back from another concussion, which he has suffered a few times in his career.
This man is 31 years old and currently backing up Trevor Siemian. But I’m sure he’ll become a legit NFL starter by the time he’s 35 https://t.co/U53ft7C9qe
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) November 22, 2021
New Taysom Hill contract just dropped? pic.twitter.com/Vwzjm7gqZQ
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) November 22, 2021
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing Sean Payton that Taysom Hill actually exists
— Nick Kostos (@TheKostos) November 22, 2021
Sean Payton is, in fact, going to die on that Hill.
— Heath Cummings (@heathcummingssr) November 22, 2021
I need to hire Taysom Hill's agent https://t.co/Zqk6ZOQyXb
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) November 22, 2021
we're one more Taysom Hill contract away from him getting a piece of team ownership.
— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) November 22, 2021
This is insanity. Anybody saying different is just pretending. He's a gadget player in his 30s. https://t.co/jnJQBFnTng
— Matt Verderame (@MattVerderame) November 22, 2021
We haven’t even played him enough this season in ANY hybrid roles to justify this weird ridiculous contract situation… I’m starting to miss the days of low expectations… kidding. https://t.co/xNOzWb8Uke
— Embrace the positive (@Naiveberserk) November 22, 2021
I guess Sean Payton fell for one of those scammer phone calls from Amazon/IRS/Social Security needed his account information to provide a refund on a recent purchase, and he wound up with this bill instead. https://t.co/jGssT2YvXS
— Danny O'Neil (@dannyoneil) November 22, 2021
Source: https://uproxx.com/sports/saints-taysom-hill-contract-extension-details-nfl-fan-reaction/