Taysom Hill’s next stop might not be the end of the road after all.
The Saints haven’t heard anything public about retirement, and even though Hill’s Metairie home is on the market, that doesn’t automatically mean his playing days are done. One prediction from The Denver Post has him landing with Sean Payton and the Broncos, which is enough to make the idea worth watching.
Luca Evans and Parker Gabriel recently rolled out a dozen predictions for Denver’s 2026 season. They made clear they were not pushing those outcomes, writing, "We are in no way advocating for these to come true or rooting for these predictions to take place. These are solely opinions and should be viewed as such," but Evans still connected the dots between Payton and one of his old favorites.
"Payton loves his guys. Hill, a quarterback-turned- something who played a key part in Payton’s offenses late in his time in New Orleans, is one of his guys. He is also currently unsigned, and his NFL career might be over at 35 years old after a season averaging 3.3 yards per offensive touch with the Saints."
Evans also pointed to the kind of roster churn that can pull a familiar name into Payton’s orbit. "At least one interesting name seems to find its way into Payton’s locker room every season with depth necessities, though.
Remember Marcedes Lewis last year? I have no idea what role Hill would play, or if he’d even get a snap in 2026.
I’m just thinking it’ll happen."
There are obvious complications. Payton won’t be the one calling plays in 2026 after turning that job over to offensive coordinator Davis Webb, so Hill would have to fit what Webb wants to run. Hill also turns 36 in August and is coming off his least productive season, one in which a season-ending knee injury in 2025 left him looking like a player who had lost a step.
Still, the contract situation is clear: Hill’s deal with the Saints has expired, and New Orleans would get no compensation if he continues his career somewhere else. If he does decide to play again, Denver is one possible landing spot. Another could be Buffalo under head coach Joe Brady, who also has a history with Hill.
What seems less likely is a return to New Orleans. And after finishing his final 2025 home game on a high note, that may be the cleanest ending of all.
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Panthers Move Could Haunt Saints All Through The NFC South Race
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If he stays healthy, the ceiling is the kind of pass-rush production that can change how an opponent attacks on a weekly basis, and that is exactly why this matters in the NFC South race. With Jaycee Horn and Derrick Brown already in place and Devin Lloyd also added, Carolinas defense looks deeper, and for New Orleans that means the path to finishing ahead of the Panthers may be tougher than just winning the head-to-head games. [Read more 🡒]