alt=Joe ColesAccording to a report from ESPN, former BYU Cougars quarterback Taysom Hill has agreed to a four-year contract extension with the New Orleans Saints.
What’s unique about the contract extension, according to Adam Schefter and Mike Triplett, is that Hill’s earning potential changes based on if he is the Saints’ starting quarterback.
Hill’s new contract is for four years and has $22.5 million in fully guaranteed money. If Hill is New Orleans’ starting quarterback over the next four years, however, the deal grows to as much as $95 million.
On the other hand, if Hill is the backup quarterback and utility player on offense and special teams — as he has been this season and during his time with the Saints — it is worth $40 million over four years.
Hill has played for the Saints since 2017 and has been a valuable gadget player for New Orleans. He has played wide receiver, running back, tight end, quarterback and on special teams for the Saints.
The former BYU quarterback started four games in 2020 in place of an injured Drew Brees, going 3-1, throwing four touchdowns and two interceptions. However, when Brees retired this offseason, Hill was beat out for the starting quarterback job by Jameis Winston.
Winston tore his ACL and injured his MCL against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 8, but since Hill had suffered a concussion early in the Saints’ Week 5 game against Washington, resulting in missing that game and the next two (the Saints had a bye in Week 6), he was unavailable to replace Winston.
Hill returned in Week 9, but Trevor Siemian was named Winston’s replacement. Siemian has gone 0-3 as a starter so far. He threw two interceptions in the Saints’ 40-29 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
Hill had a foot injury that kept him out of last week’s game against the Eagles. It’s still possible that he could be inserted as the Saints’ starting quarterback this season if Siemian keeps struggling.
In all, Hill has played in seven games this season, with 104 rushing yards and three touchdowns and 52 receiving yards. He’s also thrown eight passes, completing seven of them for 55 yards.
In March, Hill had signed another interesting contract extension — a four-year deal worth as much as $140 million, but all years were voidable, and it was structured to save the Saints salary cap space this season. The remainder of that extension was voided, leading to this newest extension.