Saints quarterback Taysom Hill has signed a four-year extension that could be worth anywhere from $40 million to $95 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal also includes $22.5 million guaranteed.
The deal is unique in that Hill will receive a $40 million base salary for the role he is currently playing as the Saints’ backup quarterback. He would receive an additional $55 million if he is the Saints’ starting quarterback for the next four seasons, per Schefter.
Hill, 31, has attempted just 142 passes during his four active seasons with the Saints. The majority of those passes took place when Hill replaced an injured Drew Brees for four games during the 2020 season. Hill went 3-1 as a starter over that span while completing 72.7% of his passes with four touchdowns and two interceptions. He ran for eight touchdowns last season while also catching a touchdown pass.
Hill was unable to beat out Jameis Winston to be the Saints’ starting quarterback coming out of training camp. The Saints then promoted Trevor Siemian to starter when Winston suffered a season-ending injury seven games into the season. The Saints are 0-3 with Siemian under center and are currently 5-5 after a 5-2 start.
A former quarterback at BYU, Hill has rushed for 913 yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging 5.3 yards per carry since the start of the 2018 season. He has also caught 34 passes for 388 yards and seven touchdowns during that span.
Hill’s extension comes a day after he was not used during the Saints’ 40-29 loss to the Eagles. Hill’s exclusion from Sunday’s game plan was a topic of conversation during Sean Payton’s postgame press conference.
“He was the backup quarterback, really, in the event we needed him,” Payton said. “We were lucky to have him up just in that role.”
