Taysom Hill Rumors: Sean Payton 'Secretly Intrigued' by Full-Time Running QB

While the New Orleans Saints want Drew Brees to return in 2020, head coach Sean Payton is reportedly "secretly intrigued" about the potential of moving forward with Taysom Hill.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported Payton could try a running quarterback in a "full-time role" if Brees retires. 

Hill is a restricted free agent and is expected to be one of the most interesting names on the open market. The 29-year-old has attempted only 13 NFL passes but has elite athletic ability that's seen him play quarterback, running back and receiver during his stint in New Orleans.

Hill recently said he views himself as a "franchise quarterback" but doesn't know where he'll play next season. 

"I definitely view myself as a franchise quarterback," Hill told Rob Maaddi of The Associated Press. "I think as you look at the other questions: Is it New Orleans? Is it somewhere else? As you go into free agency, this is the time that you start to find out how people view you. We haven't gotten into free agency long enough to really know how these guys view me and we'll just handle it as it comes."

Hill is entering free agency with perhaps the best game of his NFL career on the minds of team executives. He connected on a 50-yard pass, rushed the ball four times for another 50 yards and hauled in two passes for 25 yards and a touchdown in the Saints' 26-20 NFC Wild Card Round loss to the Minnesota Vikings last month. While Brees struggled, Hill was arguably the best Saints player on either side of the ball.

Hill's viability as a starting NFL quarterback is, however, more questionable. His NFL passing experience is almost completely limited to gadget plays designed specifically for him. The Saints could have given Hill an extended opportunity to start at quarterback during last season when Brees went out with an injury. They handed the ball to Teddy Bridgewater instead and continued to use Hill sparingly.

While the success of Lamar Jackson likely has teams around the league intrigued at the idea of a do-everything quarterback, Hill turns 30 in August. His resume reads more like a fun luxury item than a player around whom you can build an offense. 

That said, all it takes is one team to like Hill enough to give him the chance.