Saints TE Taysom Hill Unsure Of Future
Sunday marked the end of the Saints’ home schedule for 2025. For a number of veterans, Week 16 could therefore represent their final game played in New Orleans. 
That may well be the case for Taysom Hill. The veteran tight end (among many other positions/roles over the years) is a pending free agent, and it remains to be seeen what will happen in his case. When speaking after the game, Hill reflected on his Saints tenure and acknowledged (via John Hendrix of NewOrleans.Football) he is unsure of what the future holds.
“As I was driving to the stadium today, you start to think about the last nine years and what it’s meant to me and my family,” the former UDFA said (via Hendrix). “This city and stuff. I think for me personally that you try to take it all in.”
Hill has played each of his 121 combined regular and postseason games as a member of the Saints. The 35-year-old could add another two to that total as the campaign comes to an end. Beyond that point, it will be interesting to see how team and player proceed in this case. An ACL tear limited Hill to just eight games in 2024, and he produced only 95 scrimmage yards this season entering Sunday’s game.
The Saints have Juwan Johnson under contract through 2027, and fellow veteran tight end Foster Moreau could be retained as depth at the position this coming offseason. New Orleans has other options at the TE spot as well, and it would come as a surprise if Hill were to be kept in the fold merely as an emergency quarterback or strictly to play on special teams. As such, the team’s rebuilding efforts could lead to a parting of ways shortly.
Hill set a career high with 33 catches and 291 yards in 2023; he added 401 yards on the ground that year while scoring six total touchdowns. In the event he reaches free agency, suitors could look to the BYU product as a depth addition on offense. For now, though, Hill’s attention will be aimed at the final two weeks of the season while the Saints aim to continue what is now a three-game winning streak. After that, it is unclear if retirement will receive consideration or if Hill will look to continue his career in New Orleans or elsewhere next season.
Saints Activate Taysom Hill, Foster Moreau
Saints quarterback/tight end Taysom Hill and tight end Foster Moreau will make their 2025 debuts against the Giants on Sunday. The team announced that it has activated Hill and Moreau from the reserve/PUP list.
In corresponding moves, the Saints placed wide receiver Trey Palmer on injured reserve, waived tight end Moliki Matavao, and called up linebacker Eku Leota from the practice squad as a standard gameday elevation.
Hill suffered a season-ending ACL tear last December, limiting him to a career-low eight games in 2024 and shelving him for the first four contests this season. The ninth-year man returned to practice this week alongside Moreau, who’s also coming back from a late-2024 knee injury. Moreau hauled in 32 passes for 413 yards and five touchdowns in 17 games last year. In addition to the torn ACL, Hill informed Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football he tore all four ligaments in the posterolateral corner of his knee.
Without Hill and Moreau around, tight end Juwan Johnson has gotten almost 94 percent of offensive snaps early in the season. He leads the 0-4 Saints in receiving yards (204) and trails only No. 1 WR Chris Olave in catches (22).
In 2023, his most recent healthy season, Hill recorded personal bests in receptions (33), targets (40) and yards (291) over 16 games. Hill was featured more prominently in the running game, as he piled up 81 carries for 401 yards and four touchdowns. He was on an even better pace as a runner in 2024 (39 attempts, 278 yards, six TDs) before his season ended prematurely.
Known for his versatility, Hill is expected to function as the Saints’ backup quarterback behind Spencer Rattler on Sunday, Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com reports. That will relegate rookie Tyler Shough, a second-round pick, to the No. 3 role. The 35-year-old Hill has completed 193 of 302 passes for 2,369 yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in the NFL.
Meanwhile, guard Cesar Ruiz – one of Rattler’s key protectors – has avoided the IR and is recovering well from the high ankle sprain he suffered in last week’s loss to the Bills, according to Triplett’s colleague Nick Underhill. Ruiz won’t play on Sunday, but it appears he’ll miss fewer than four games.
Saints Designate TEs Taysom Hill, Foster Moreau For Return
During final roster cuts, the Saints moved Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau to the reserve/PUP list. That ensured at least a four-game absence for both veteran tight ends. 
This week marks the first point at which Hill and Moreau can return to practice. That will indeed be the case, since the team has officially opened the practice window for both players. The Saints have 21 days to activate each of them to avoid a season-ending absence.
The fact Hill and Moreau have been designated for return at the first possible opportunity is of course an encouraging sign for their respective outlooks. Hill’s 2024 campaign was cut short by an ACL tear, while Moreau suffered a knee injury of his own during New Orleans’ season finale. In both cases, a lengthy recovery period included missed time during training camp. Given this news, though, their rehab processes have gone according to plan.
Hill’s contract was restructured shortly before the start of the season. The 35-year-old saw a portion of his base salary converted into per-game roster bonuses (taking into account the fact he would be sidelined for the first month of the campaign). Hill remains a pending free agent, so managing to avoid any injuries in 2025 while carving out a role of one kind or another within new head coach Kellen Moore‘s offense will be key in establishing his value for the spring.
Moreau, 28, is also entering the final year of his pact. With 413 yards and 32 receptions in 2024, the LSU product essentially matched his career bests in those categories last year; Moreau also set a new personal mark with five touchdowns. Duplicating that production could be challenging with Juwan Johnson in the fold, but being back to full strength at the tight end spot will nevertheless be welcomed by the winless Saints.
New Orleans will take on the Giants in Week 5. Depending on how the next few days unfold, the team’s offense could have one or two more options available for that game.
Saints Restructure Taysom Hill’s Contract
The Saints restuctured Taysom Hill‘s contract before the regular season, according to ESPN’s Katherine Terrell.
The eight-year veteran is coming off a torn ACL that ended his 2024 season and was placed on the physically unable to perform list during roster cut-downs.
The move was not a traditional restructure that converted base salary into a prorated signing bonus. Instead, $6MM of Hill’s 2025 salary was converted into per-game roster bonuses. Since he started the regular season on the PUP list, he can receive $500K per game for up to 12 games.
The Saints saved about $3.6MM with Hill’s restructured deal, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football. It will still void on the last day of the 2025 league year, making him a free agent after the season.
New Orleans is already over the 2026 salary cap with only 43 players under contract due to their aggressive use of traditional restructures and void years. As a result, re-signing Hill may not be a priority, especially if the team’s new coaching staff wants to move in a different direction on offense. However, Hill’s age (35) and recent injuries will limit his market in free agency. He which may allow the Saints to retain their longtime gadget player on an inexpensive deal.
Saints Release Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Isaiah Foskey, Move Down To 53
The Saints have moved down to 53 players ahead of the 3pm CT deadline. Moving multiple players to the IR-return list, New Orleans also cut 19 players in addition to today’s Jake Haener move. Here is how the Saints trimmed their roster to 53:
Released:
Waived:
- WR Kevin Austin
- CB Dalys Beanum
- S Elliott Davison
- DE Fadil Diggs
- DE Isaiah Foskey
- LB D’Marco Jackson
- T Easton Kitty
- DT Jayden Peevy
- CB Jayden Price
- LB Nephi Sewell
- K Charlie Smyth
- TE Treyton Welch
- RB Marcus Yarns
Waived/injured:
- CB Rico Payton
Placed on IR (designated for return):
- DL John Ridgeway
- T Barry Wesley
Placed on IR:
Moved to reserve/PUP list:
- TE Taysom Hill
- TE Foster Moreau
Ridgeway and Wesley will count toward the Saints’ in-season injury-activation total, leaving six regular-season activations for the team to use. Kellen Moore confirmed those two received return designations while Young will head to season-ending IR due to ankle surgery, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. Ridgeway, acquired via trade last year, will miss time due to a pectoral injury. It is not viewed as serious, Garafolo adds, noting the D-lineman should be back early in the season. Ridgeway and Wesley, a 2023 UDFA who has not seen any game action yet, must miss at least four games.
The same holds true for Hill and Moreau, who will be shifted from the active/PUP list to the reserve/PUP list. Hill suffered an ACL tear in Week 13 last season, while Moreau went down with a knee malady in Week 18.
Foskey could not hold onto a regular role under Moore, who will drop the 2023 second-round pick after his third NFL training camp. The Saints have used Foskey in 27 games, giving him no starts. In that time, the edge rusher has not recorded a sack. If Foskey goes unclaimed, the Saints will be hit with $3.16MM in dead money — spread over two years.
Edwards-Helaire follows Cam Akers off New Orleans’ roster. Both are vested veterans and do not need to clear waivers before joining another team’s active roster or practice squad. Teams cannot begin setting P-squads until waivers process at 11am CT Wednesday, but clubs are informing players they want to retain on their taxi squads already. Beanum is among the players the Saints want to retain on their P-squad, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/22/25
With training camps kicking off around the NFL, teams continue to make adjustments to their rosters. Here are today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: TE Matt Sokol, WR David White
- Waived: WR Kelly Akharaiyi, P Jake Camarda
- Placed on active/PUP: OT Spencer Brown, C Sedrick Van Pran-Granger
- Placed on active/NFI: TE Dawson Knox
- Activated from active/PUP: DE Landon Jackson
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: TE Tyler Mabry
- Released/failed physical: LB Josey Jewell (story)
- Placed on active/NFI: DT Bobby Brown
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: DT Dante Barnett
- Placed on active/NFI: RB Zack Moss
Cleveland Browns
- Waived (with injury designation): WR Jaelen Gill
- Placed on active/PUP: DT Mike Hall Jr., QB Deshaun Watson
- Placed on active/NFI: WR David Bell
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: K Mark McNamee
Houston Texans
- Waived: CB Keydrain Calligan
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on active/PUP: DT Maason Smith
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: WR Phillip Dorsett, G Atonio Mafi, WR Seth Williams
- Waived: CB Mello Dotson, WR Zakhair Franklin, WR Key’Shawn Smith, LB Jailin Walker
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived: OT Savion Washington
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: OL Daniel Brunskill
- Waived: QB Brett Gabbert
- Placed on active/PUP: OL Liam Eichenberg, TE Darren Waller
- Placed on active/NFI: S Ifeatu Melifonwu
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on active/PUP: TE Taysom Hill, TE Foster Moreau
- Placed on reserve/retired: TE Dallin Holker, S Tyrann Mathieu (story)
New York Giants
- Signed: S K’Von Wallace
- Waived/failed physical: S Anthony Johnson Jr.
- Placed on active/PUP: RB Eric Gray, LT Andrew Thomas
- Placed on active/NFI: LB Victor Dimukeje
New York Jets
- Waived: OT Obinna Eze
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR Equanimeous St. Brown
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on active/PUP: OT Silas Dzansi, WR Chris Godwin, G Sua Opeta, QB Michael Pratt, OT Tristan Wirfs
- Placed on active/NFI: LB Anthony Walker
- Placed on active/non-football illness: DL Desmond Watson
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on active/PUP: C Lloyd Cushenberry, CB L’Jarius Sneed
Washington Commanders
- Waived/NFI: RB Michael Wiley
Saints’ Taysom Hill, Foster Moreau Out Until At Least Training Camp
Saints do-it-all weapon Taysom Hill and true tight end Foster Moreau suffered significant injuries in the latter stages of the 2024 season, which was a fitting end to a generally miserable year. It appears they are on the mend, but as Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports, neither of them will return to practice until training camp at the earliest.
It is worth noting that Underhill does not say whether Hill and Moreau are aiming for the start of camp in late July or if they will return on some later date. Both players are entering platform campaigns, so their future earning power will be impacted to a large extent by their health and productivity in 2025.
Hill, who is going into his age-35 season, was in line to build on the career-high 114 combined receiving and rushing touches he totaled in 2023. Last year, Klint Kubiak’s first (and only) season as the Saints’ offensive coordinator, it was reported that Hill could see more opportunities in the running game while still serving as an ancillary receiving option.
Unfortunately, the BYU product missed a handful of contests early on in the 2024 season due to a chest injury and fractured ribs, and he then sustained a torn ACL in Week 13. Given the usual timeline for ACL injuries, it would not be surprising if Hill were to miss the start of the 2025 regular season.
When he is healthy enough to return, it is unclear how new head coach Kellen Moore and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier plan to deploy Hill. Even without the ACL injury, it is unlikely the college quarterback – who does have a 7-2 record as a starting signal-caller in the pros but who has not thrown any passes except in special packages since 2021 – would have factored into New Orleans’ upcoming QB competition.
The Saints re-upped tight end Juwan Johnson on a lucrative three-year contract in March, thus cementing him the club’s TE1. Moreau will therefore have to again compete with Johnson (and Hill) for targets whenever he returns to the field.
Now 28, the former fourth-round pick of the Raiders started all 17 games for the Saints last year, his second season in New Orleans. He tied a career-high with five TDs, and his 32 catches and 413 receiving yards came up just shy of tying the personal-best marks he set with Las Vegas in 2022.
Moreau suffered a knee injury during the Saints’ season finale in 2024 and had to be carted off the field. Again, it is uncertain exactly when Moreau will be medically cleared, though he is of course hopeful it will be before the start of the regular season.
“The knee is doing great, and I’d have to say we are ahead of schedule,” Moreau recently said (via Rod Walker of NOLA.com). “I’d be pretty happy with a timeline that gets me back in either one of those spots (meaning before the start of training camp or the start of the regular season).”
Given Moore’s history of featuring tight ends in his offense, Moreau – who signed a three-year, $12MM pact with the Saints in 2023 – could position himself for another multiyear accord next offseason if he can return to full health sooner rather than later.
Saints Will Hold Open QB Competition
The news of the day in the NFL has centered today around the retirement of Saints (and former Raiders) quarterback Derek Carr. Naturally, there have been several questions surrounding the foreknowledge the team had concerning this decision and how it affects the team moving forward. 
In speaking to the media, new head coach Kellen Moore revealed a couple things that give us some insight into the situation. Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football tells us that Moore claimed Carr’s decision “is something that came together recently.” ESPN’s Katherine Terrell recalls that, though the Saints were seeking clarity on the Carr situation prior to the draft, Moore has said “multiple times that the communication was great” throughout the process.
With that in mind, Moore also told the media that the team’s knowledge of the Carr situation impacted the Saints’ decision to draft Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, per Jeff Nowak of WWL Radio. Shough now joins two other passers on their rookie deals in New Orleans’ quarterbacks room. With the absence of a veteran in the group, Moore was asked if they would look to add one. Per John Hendrix of Athlon Sports, Moore responded that the team would “certainly have awareness to it…if the opportunity presents itself.”
Without a veteran in the building, though, Moore has made it clear that Shough, Spencer Rattler, and Jake Haener will all be given an opportunity to compete for the starting job, per Underhill. Taken with the 40th overall pick this year, Shough was drafted higher than both Rattler (150th in 2024) and Haener (127th in 2023). In fact, Shough is the team’s highest-drafted quarterback since New Orleans selected Archie Manning No. 2 overall in 1971. There were 18 quarterbacks drafted by the Saints between Manning and Shough, and only one (Garrett Grayson in 2015) was selected before the fourth round; Grayson was a third-round pick.
Despite having just been drafted, Shough, having spent seven years in college (three at Oregon, three at Texas Tech, and one at Louisville), is not the youngest of the current group of passers; Rattler is 24, Shough is 25, and Haener is 26.
After sitting on the bench for two years in Eugene, Shough took over for Justin Herbert as the Ducks’ starter as a redshirt sophomore in 2020. After seemingly losing his job to Boston College transfer Anthony Brown, he transferred to Texas Tech, earning the starting job in Lubbock immediately. Injuries limited Shough to just 13 starts in three years with the Red Raiders, though, and he found his way to Louisville via the Transfer Portal last year. With the Cardinals, Shough went 8-4, completing 62.7 percent of his passes for 3,195 yards, 23 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He showed decent, though not impressive, mobility throughout his collegiate career, as well.
Rattler started six games for the Saints as a rookie last year. New Orleans lost all six games as he completed only 57.0 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and five interceptions. After sitting out his entire rookie season, partially due to a six-game suspension, Haener didn’t fare much better in his only starting opportunity last year. After Rattler’s initial 0-3 stretch earlier in the season, Haener got the nod to replace an injured Carr in Week 15 of last year. After a first half that saw Haener complete only four of 10 pass attempts for 49 yards and a touchdown, the Saints went to the locker room down 14-0 and came out with Rattler as the starter for the remainder of the season.
Though it seems his days as a quarterback are long gone, Swiss Army tight end Taysom Hill also resides in the room. In 2020 & 2021, Hill started nine games under center with the team going 9-2 with him as a quarterback. In those games, he completed 63.75 percent of his passes for just under 200 passing yards per game. He scored 14 touchdowns (eight passing, six rushing) and threw six interceptions as a starter. Since those years, though, Hill has only attempted 34 passes over the last three years (including just four in 2024). He’s likely not a factor in the starting competition, but his presence on the roster does warrant mentioning.
More likely, the three young passers will be duking it out throughout the offseason in order to earn QB1 honors. Moore will rotate all three of Shough, Rattler, and Haener on the first-team offense until somebody takes hold of the job and refuses to let go.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/6/24
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on IR: LB Logan Wilson (story)
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on IR: TE Taysom Hill (story)
New York Giants
- Claimed off waivers (from Seahawks): CB Dee Williams
Williams, an undrafted rookie out of Tennessee, had appeared in every game for Seattle so far this year. While he only managed four snaps on defense in that time, Williams was the team’s primary punt returner and was back on kickoffs, as well.
Saints TE Taysom Hill Suffers ACL Tear
DECEMBER 2: Hill is indeed out for the rest of the year, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. He suffered an ACL tear in addition to other damage, Rapoport adds. Attention will turn to recovery in anticipation of the 2025 campaign with Hill looking to reprise his role as a versatile figure on offense upon return.
DECEMBER 1: The Saints lost their do-it-all Swiss Army knife in today’s loss to the Rams. Veteran offensive weapon Taysom Hill was carted off with a knee injury, and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that the injury is feared to be season-ending.
Hill hasn’t had much of a history with injury during his NFL career, only missing multiple games due to injury in one of his seven previous seasons. Today’s injury, though, will likely force the BYU product to miss the team’s remaining five games.
Hill’s role with the Saints has evolved over the course of his career. The versatile athlete was claimed off of waivers by New Orleans after initially signing with the Packers as an undrafted free agent. After not appearing much his rookie year, the Saints utilized Hill mostly in the rushing game, sparsely using him as a receiver or quarterback in 2018. 2019 saw him develop as a receiver, with Hill catching a career-high six touchdowns that year.
The 2020 and 2021 seasons saw Hill’s receiving impact reduced as he began finding starts at his college position of quarterback, making nine starts at the position in the two years combined. The team made use of his arm but mostly concentrated on his running ability, allowing him to rack up 13 rushing touchdowns in that time.
In 2022, Hill returned to a primarily rushing role, notching a career-high 575 rushing yards while adding on seven touchdowns on the ground and two receiving, matching his career high in total touchdowns. Last season showed perhaps his most versatile season as his 401 rushing yards (four touchdowns) and 291 receiving yards (two touchdowns) combined for the most scrimmage yards in a season for his career.
This year, Hill is the team’s second leading rusher with 268 yards while matching Alvin Kamara with six rushing touchdowns. In the receiving game, Hill is fifth on the team with 18 receptions and has added 150 yards to his scrimmage yard total. Juwan Johnson will continue to perform as the team’s primary receiving tight end, while Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller are sure to benefit from some additional touches in the run game.
Because of his history at BYU, Hill entered the league at 27 years old and is 34 today. The veteran is due a $10MM base salary in his 35-year-old season, and the Saints don’t have much incentive to cut him as it would only free up $277K in cap space and leave them with $17.71MM in dead money in his contract year. It will be interesting to see how a player of his age and usage will be able to rebound from such a severe injury, but if he can, he has every incentive to return in 2025.
The Saints will have Hill undergo an MRI in order to determine the severity of the injury, but all signs are currently pointing to the initial diagnosis of a season-ending knee injury. If confirmed, a move to injured reserve for the remainder of the season is likely in order to free up a roster spot.