New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill still hasn’t signed the restricted free agent tender the team issued to him back in March, but a critical deadline could spur him (or any interested teams) into action.
The NFL’s deadline for restricted free agents to sign an offer sheet with another team is set to pass at the close of business on Friday, April 17, around 3 p.m. CT. If Hill doesn’t sign his tender, he won’t play for anyone in 2020. But he’s fully expected to do so and suit up for the Saints.
Valued at $4.641 million (all counting against the 2020 salary cap), Hill’s tender would keep him in New Orleans for another year before he could test unrestricted free agency in 2021. If another team signs him to an offer sheet before Friday’s deadline, however, the Saints will have the choice to match it, or let him walk away — recouping a first-round draft pick in the process.
However, all’s been quiet on Hill since the Saints first formally deployed that tender. There have been no rumors of other teams considering whether to make a move for him, which makes sense considering the price they would have to pay in draft capital and his unproven NFL odds.
Hill played more snaps on special teams than offense last season and turns 30 in August. Any teams interested in his services would probably prefer to draft a younger prospect with more room to develop. So while things could change in a hurry, for now it looks like Saints coach Sean Payton will get his wish, and give Hill a real shot to succeed Drew Brees.
