The New Orleans Saints ruled backup tight end Josh Hill out for the rest of their game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team announced Sunday. Hill suffered a concussion during the first half and was not cleared to return by team medical staff.
It’s made the Saints short-handed at the position, with Jared Cook the only active tight end left in the game. Third-year reserve Dan Arnold was a healthy scratch before kickoff, though the Saints can shift do-it-all quarterback Taysom Hill into the tight end spot in a pinch.
One other adjustment the Saints can make in Hill’s absence is the use of extra offensive linemen in heavy personnel packages. They went to that exact look early in the fourth quarter for a short-yardage situation, sending backup blockers Will Clapp and Patrick Omameh out to reinforce the formation — meaning every active offensive lineman was on the field at the same time. Quarterback Drew Brees ended up leaping over the top of the line to pick up a fresh set of downs.
Hopefully Hill won’t be plagued by concussion symptoms in the coming weeks. He was limited in practice throughout the past week with a calf injury, though it obviously didn’t prevent him from suiting up. The Saints lack depth at tight end and haven’t gotten consistent production out of Cook to this point in the season. Still, Hill’s health is what is most important, and he shouldn’t rush to return from this brain injury.
