Taysom Hill's future with New Orleans Saints hinges on key decision that nobody in the organization will want to make

Decisions do not come easy in the NFL. For the New Orleans Saints, a massive choice remains on the table for them this offseason regarding a fan favorite player. Taysom Hill's contract is a sizable one, and he is coming off a season-ending ACL injury. He's also turning 35 years old in August. 

Even with that, there are plenty of people who want to see him remain on the team. His effort, work ethic, and versatility have endeared him to the Saints fan base, but New Orleans may make the tough decision to move on from him ahead of the 2025-2026 season. 

Taysom Hill's contract and future remain cloudy

In a recent piece from The Athletic, different writers posed one contract for each NFL team that is the most intriguing for a particular reason. 

There are standoffs like these across the league — some of immediate concern and others more on the horizon. The Athletic’s NFL beat writers did the heavy lifting, though, and picked one player contract (sometimes two) worth watching for every NFL team.

-- The Athletic

For the Saints, Taysom Hill's deal was selected as the one to watch ahead of this season for New Orleans. It makes plenty of sense when you consider all of the factors affecting the situation for the veteran and the organization. 

TE Taysom Hill

The Saints’ jack-of-all-trades offensive weapon possesses the highest salary cap figure on the roster at nearly $18 million. He also turns 35 in August and will attempt to return after an ACL tear in Week 13 last season. New coach Kellen Moore seems optimistic Hill can return this season, but who knows if Hill will ever be the same given his age and the wear and tear on his body. The Saints could save $10 million if they cut Hill, but for once they actually don’t need the space since they’re around $23 million under the cap. Still, it’s fair to wonder if we’ve seen the last of Hill with the Saints.

— Larry Holder

Hill would never want to be kept around as any sort of "pity decision" by the Saints. He wants to make an impact both on and off the field for New Orleans, and that's been clear for his entire playing career. 

That being said, the cap relief in both the short and long-term may be too enticing for the Saints to pass up, rather than committing to paying him a large sum for another season. Not to mention, it's possible he misses a notable portion of that season due to his ACL injury and rehab. 

The lack of need for the cap space right now should not deter the Saints from making the hard decision to move on from Taysom if they feel it makes the most sense for their roster-building plan down the road.