Taysom Hill to be the most compensated third-string quarterback of all time
By John Buhler
The New Orleans Saints love their third-string quarterback so much that they paid Taysom Hill more millions of dollars than passes he’ll attempt all year.
Life goal: Find someone who loves you as much as the New Orleans Saints love Taysom Hill.
We’ve seen NFL franchises fall in love with quarterbacks before, but the Saints’ undying love for Hill is unlike anything we’ve ever come across this century. The former BYU Cougars signal-caller has attempted 13 career passes in his three-year NFL career with the Saints. He just got paid $21 million dollars in a two-year extension to be the most compensated third-stringer of all time.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Sunday morning the Saints are signing the 30-year-old sometimes quarterback to a two-year extension worth $21 million, with $16 million of it fully guaranteed. This comes hours after Yahoo’s Charles Robinson reported the Saints are in the process of signing former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston to a one-year deal.
Saints did sign a QB today: Taysom Hill. Saints are signing Hill to a two-year deal that really is a one-year extension of the first-round, $4.6 million contract tender they gave him in March, per source. But Hill is tied to Saints through 2021 season.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 26, 2020
Compensation update: Taysom Hill’s two-year extension with the Saints is worth $21 million, including $16 million fully guaranteed at signing, plus $1 million more in performance incentives, per source. So it really is a one-year, $16.3M extension.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 26, 2020
The Saints also have future Pro Football Hall of Famer Drew Brees under contract and just used a seventh-round pick on former Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Tommy Stevens in the 2020 NFL Draft. Does New Orleans have enough money to sign free-agent quarterback Cam Newton, too? They might as well. What is going on here?
It might only be a $4,641,000 cap hit for 2020, but Hill will account for more against the cap than the following NFL starting quarterbacks: Deshaun Watson of the Houston Texans ($4,408, 207), Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens ($2,583,176) and Drew Lock of the Denver Broncos ($1,593,368). Though all three are still on rookie contracts, this is absolute lunacy.
Watson is the greatest quarterback in Texans history, edging out Matt Schaub already, who is getting paid $2,375,000 to back up Matt Ryan with the Atlanta Falcons. Jackson won NFL MVP last season in Baltimore and his backup Robert Griffin III takes home less against the cap than Hill at $2.5 million. Together, Jackson and Griffin have a pair of Heisman Trophies between them.
Though piling on Hill’s pay day is easy, he does offer value to the Saints’ roster. He can do a lot of things, but none of them particularly well. His foot speed is his greatest attribute, which is why he had success as a quarterback back in college at BYU. He can run, catch, throw, block and even make tackles on special teams. He’s a great gadget player, but he shouldn’t get this much cash.
The Saints are in win-now mode. Brees is playing in what will likely be his last season in the league before he joins NBC Sports in what should be a lucrative broadcasting career. Hill may be the ultimate glue guy for New Orleans and deserved a bump in pay, but to make him close to top-30 most compensated when he’s the third best quarterback on his team is comical.
Next: Top 25 Super Bowl performances of all-time
If he helps the Saints win the NFC this year and get to a Super Bowl, then his $16 million for 2020 is worth it. Look for him to try to prove us all wrong like he has done up to this point in his NFL career. Well, he’s really under the microscope now. Let’s hope it works out for him and the Saints.