Tim Hightower Re-Signs with Saints: Latest Contract Details, Comments, Reaction

The New Orleans Saints reportedly agreed to re-sign Tim Hightower on Friday.

Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com first reported the news, while Nick Underhill of the Advocate confirmed the move.

Hightower put together an impressive comeback story during the latest stages of last season in New Orleans. He appeared in eight games after being out of the NFL since 2011, rushing for 375 yards and four touchdowns in mostly rotational duty.

The 29-year-old former fifth-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals did get a couple chances to see more extensive duty down the stretch. He had 28 carries for 85 yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and 27 carries for 122 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Three of his four TDs came in those contests.

Those games proved Hightower could still make an impact at the NFL level. It was an important showcase after being overlooked for an extended stretch.

The Richmond product suffered a torn ACL while with the Washington Redskins in 2011 and failed to make the team's final roster in 2012. He waited for another opportunity ever since that point.

Mike Triplett of ESPN passed along comments from the powerful back in December about his feelings after the strong showing against the Jags:

"It wasn't a nervous feeling at all, it wasn't an anxious feeling. I was just so excited. I wanted to get back to work," Hightower said. "When you have an opportunity like this that I've been given, you just want to take advantage of it. You don't want it to end."

Hightower has never served as a full-time lead back—153 carries is his career high—but he's been a reliable option for short-yardage and red-zone situations. He rushed for 23 touchdowns during his first three years in the league with the Cardinals.

Going back to the Saints always made the most sense. Mark Ingram has played all 16 games only once through five career seasons and C.J. Spiller isn't built to handle every-down duties. So Hightower should receive plenty of playing time during the course of the campaign.

He's not a dynamic offensive threat, which is probably why he remained on the market for so long in between NFL gigs. But he's a reliable piece of a backfield rotation that fits perfectly into what New Orleans needed to round out its group.

All told, it's a nice value signing to give Hightower a chance to keep writing his comeback story.