Taysom Hill established himself in the NFL as one of the league's more unique Swiss Army knives, largely thanks to Sean Payton deploying him in various facets during their shared time in New Orleans. When Hill recently announced that he would not be returning to the Saints in 2026 and will explore other options across the league, it didn't take long for folks to connect the dots to Denver for a possible reunion with Payton. And it seems like Payton is enamored with the idea himself, telling NFL Network that the Broncos will be exploring the possibility of adding Hill.
Hill, 35, entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of BYU. After a brief stint with the Packers during training camp, he found his way to New Orleans and caught the eye of Payton. Under his tutelage, Hill was a versatile weapon as a passer, rusher and receiver, and had been listed as a quarterback, wide receiver and, more recently, a tight end.
Over the course of their tenure in New Orleans (2017-2021), Hill totaled 1,183 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns, while catching 34 of his 47 targets for 388 yards and seven touchdowns. He also passed for 2,025 yards, eight touchdowns and eight interceptions, while completing 64.2% of his throws. Hill was 7-2 over his nine starts under center for the Saints.
"For the last nine years, New Orleans has been so much more than the city where I played," Hill said in his farewell post to the Saints. "It's where my family built a life, where our oldest son was born, and where we formed relationships and made memories that will stay with us forever. I've taken time this offseason to think carefully about what comes next for my family and me.
"I still don't have a clear answer about what the future holds, but I know that returning to New Orleans is not in the cards. As training camp begins, I didn't want my silence to be misinterpreted, and as hard as it is to put into words, I wanted to express my gratitude."
Of course, Bo Nix is the entrenched starting quarterback for Payton's Broncos, but the potential addition of Hill could help take some of the load off of him in obvious run situations, particularly as Nix continues to recover from a fractured ankle he suffered last postseason.
Moreover, he could help boost a tight end room that's currently headlined by Adam Trautman and Evan Engram. In 2025, those two accounted for 70 catches, 656 yards and just two touchdowns. In theory, Hill could help boost the position's touchdown output from a season ago if Denver elects to bring him aboard.
