Taysom Hill's not the quarterback. But he remains a valuable player for the Saints.
The New Orleans utility player showed why on Monday with 30-yard touchdown catch that put him in the NFL record books.
With the Saints facing second-and-9 in the second quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Hill lined up in the slot and cut wide toward the left sideline on a pass play. Cornerback Jamel Dean followed tight end Adam Trautman over the middle, and Hill broke free from safety Keanu Neal on a busted zone coverage. Hill then streaked down the sideline and hauled in a 30-yard touchdown pass from Andy Dalton to give the Saints a 7-3 lead.
After starting nine games at quarterback in the previous two seasons under Sean Payton, Hill's seen limited reps behind center in 2022 with 14 passing attempts under first-year head coach Dennis Allen. He's made the bulk of his contributions on the ground as the Saints second-leading rusher with 409 yards and a team-best six total touchdowns entering Monday's game.
With the score, Hill became the first player in the Super Bowl era to record nine-plus touchdowns as a runner, receiver and passer. He entered play on Monday with 21 career rushing touchdowns, nine passing touchdowns and eight receiving touchdowns.
The Bucs learned the hard way that he's also a threat as a pass-catcher and a player who demands attention from the defense no matter where he lines up.