What Is Sean Payton Implying With Comments On Saints’ Taysom Hill?

The window on Sean Payton’s coaching career hasn’t closed just yet, but it sure sounds like the former Saints head coach would like Taysom Hill back on his future team.

New Orleans edged out the Seattle Seahawks in a Week 5 shoutout thanks to four total touchdowns from Hill, who practically did everything for the Saints except play defense.

Payton is very fond of Hill, once comparing the undrafted quarterback to Hall of Famer Steve Young. The Saints list Hill as a tight end, but even after Payton stepped down from the organization in 2021 after a 16-year tenure, Hill is still being utilized as a do-it-all playmaker.

Payton reacted to the Saints’ win on “The Herd” on Monday and revealed a text exchange with general manager Mickey Loomis.

“I texted Mickey yesterday — he’s my closest friend — and I said, ‘Hey, if you’re uncomfortable with that $10 million salary, let me know in a year or two, and I’ll take it off your hands.,’ ” Payton told Colin Cowherd, per YouTube video.

Admittedly, Payton likely said this in a more tongue-in-cheek fashion, but the scenario isn’t that unrealistic. Hill signed a four-year, $40 million contract in 2021 that began in the 2022-23 season. But New Orleans has a potential out after the 2023-24 season, according to Spotrac, and in the following three years, Hill will not receive guaranteed money, according to Over The Cap.

Hill will be 34 by 2024, but he has never been a player solely dependent on speed. Payton doesn’t seem to be eager to jump back into coaching right away. He did admit on “The Herd” a situation where a good quarterback is just waiting for you is similar to a “unicorn” when discussing the vacant Carolina Panthers position.

Payton has been linked to the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins, but no matter where he goes, Hill’s future may be linked to that of his former head coach.