Utility man Taysom Hill departs Saints

Taysom Hill, who starred for the New Orleans Saints for the better part of nine seasons as a unique jack-of-all-trades, has announced his departure from the team via social media.

The 35-year-old gained fame for playing multiple positions -- and doing it well -- in an era that hadn't typically seen that type of versatility.

Originally joining the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free-agent quarterback out of BYU, Hill went on to also play tight end, wide receiver, and several spots on special teams after hooking on with the Saints in 2017.

On Wednesday, Hill didn't shut the door on a career that has begun to wind down, but he did confirm that his time in New Orleans has come to an end.

"I still don't have a clear answer about what the future holds, but I know that returning to New Orleans is not in the cards," Hill wrote on X. "As training camp begins, I didn't want my silence to be misinterpreted, and as hard as it is to put into words, I wanted to express my gratitude.

"I had always heard, 'If you love New Orleans, New Orleans will love you back,'" Hill said. "That could not have been more true. You exceeded every expectation I had of what it would be like to live and play in a city."

Known affectionately in New Orleans as the "Swiss Army knife," Hill is one of four players in NFL history to score 10 touchdowns passing, rushing and receiving. The last player to hit double digits in each category was Hall of Famer Frank Gifford - whose career ended in 1964.

His 1,000 yards exceeded in each category is also a rarity: No other player in the Super Bowl era has achieved the feat.

If Hill retires, he will do so with 2,551 yards on the ground with 34 touchdowns, 110 receptions for 1,034 yards and 11 touchdowns receiving, 2,426 yards passing with 12 touchdowns and an additional 489 yards in returns.

"We thank Taysom for all his great contributions, and we are positive that a day will come when all his accomplishments can be properly celebrated," Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said in a statement.