New Orleans Saints jack of all trades offensive weapon Taysom Hill will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL, according to multiple reports.
Hill was carted off the field with the injury late in the fourth quarter of New Orleans’ 21-14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 13. The Saints had previously won their first two games under interim head coach Darren Rizzi.
The 34-year-old tight end/running back/quarterback has been utilized in a variety of ways for years by the Saints. This year in eight games, he rushed for 278 yards and six touchdowns, with an average of 7.1 yards per carry. Hill also added 23 receptions for 187 yards and had four pass attempts. Earlier in the year, he missed four games with a fractured rib and bruised lung.
The Saints (4-8) are already without wide receivers Chris Olave (concussion) and Rashid Shaheed (knee injury) and are two games back of the Atlanta Falcons for the division lead in the NFC South.
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Is the Hill experiment coming to an end?
That’s a legitimate question given how much punishment he’s taken within the Saints offense as he’ll be 35 by the time next season starts. His bruising style of play within every phase of his game, whether it’s on offense or special teams, would take a toll on any player, much less one in his mid-30s. Hill likely won’t healthy enough to play at the start of next season, so it’s fair to ask how effective he can be coming off this injury given his knee problems stemming back to college.
On top of that, the Saints are primed for a new head coach next season after the team fired Dennis Allen last month. It’s no guarantee that Rizzi and/or offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak will be part of the next coaching staff. Meaning it’s no guarantee the offense will implement Hill the way the Saints have for the last several years.
Hill really has been such an energizer for so many years, even when Drew Brees was still in the building. This would be a tough way to go out for some who’s spilled so much guts out for the team he scratched and clawed his way to even make back in 2017. — Larry Holder, NFL senior writer
Required reading
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- Examining the NFL playoff picture following Sunday’s slate
- NFL playoff projections 2024: The Athletic’s model predicts the field
(Photo: Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images)
