Sean Payton isn’t rushing the Taysom Hill conversation, and that may be the biggest clue about where things stand for the former Saints Swiss Army knife.
The Broncos are exploring the idea of signing Hill after New Orleans released him before training camp, but Payton made it clear Monday that the first question isn’t where Hill would line up in Denver or how much he’d cost. It’s whether he even wants 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.”
Payton is headed to Canton, Ohio, where he’ll serve as Brees’s intro man for the legendary quarterback’s Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement. Several former Saints teammates and coaches are expected to be there too, including Hill, which gives Payton a chance to talk with him face to face and get a better read on what comes next.
That matters because Hill has always been more than just a tight end. He scored 45 touchdowns as a receiver or rusher in nine years in New Orleans, and his career has been built on being the rare player who can shift roles without blinking. He entered the NFL undrafted in 2017 as a quarterback, first with the Green Bay Packers and then with the Saints, where he spent time as a Wildcat-style option behind Drew Brees before injuries forced Payton to use him under center.
Broncos fans know exactly how unusual that can look. They remember the Week 14 game in 2020 when New Orleans came to Denver and the NFL kept all of Denver’s actual quarterbacks out for violating the league’s pandemic policies at the time. Kendall Hinton handled the quarterback snaps that day, while Hill remained part of the Saints’ puzzle on the other sideline.
Not long after that, Payton leaned even harder into Hill’s versatility, moving him around as a wide receiver and gadget threat. After Payton stepped down following the 2021 season, the Saints shifted Hill to tight end, the position he has specialized in over the past few years.
If Hill does want to keep going, Denver would offer a pretty appealing landing spot. He never won a Super Bowl in New Orleans, and that would be on the table with the Broncos, even if it ended up being just a one-year run. The question is whether the fit makes sense in a tight end room that already has plenty going on, including two new 2026 draft picks pushing for playing time.
Adam Trautman, who knows Hill from their Saints days, spoke warmly about the possibility after Monday’s practice.
“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.”
The Broncos’ offense also has other mouths to feed, with Jaylen Waddle’s arrival adding another premium target and young players like Pat Bryant and Marvin Mims Jr. getting off to strong starts in camp. Evan Engram, meanwhile, has been making plays like a featured weapon.
Hill is nearly 36, but there’s a wrinkle there too: he’s a young 36, given that he didn’t start college football until after a two-year LDS mission and has never been a full-time NFL player, even though he’s carried the wear and tear of a pro for nine seasons.
So this one still comes back to motivation and role. If the Broncos do move forward, it’ll be because Hill still has that competitive fire and because they’ve found a place for him that works alongside the rest of the offense, giving Bo Nix another weapon to work with.
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