The Saints have found a useful role for third-string quarterback Taysom Hill.
And Saints coach Sean Payton isn’t afraid of dreaming big, even if it means comparing him to a Hall of Famer.
Via Nathan Brown of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Payton invoked the name of Hill’s fellow BYU product Steve Young when talking about what his young quarterback could do, and didn’t back away from such a lofty comparison.
“If you look back at Steve’s career, people don’t remember the time before he came to the NFL, you have a very athletic player that, I think, advanced when he got to San Francisco,” Payton said. “He always had great ability with his legs, so you’re trying to create visions for players, and that’s no different than how you’d evaluate how we see Teddy Bridgewater progressing and what we think he can be. That’s the business we’re in.”
Admittedly, it’s a projection. But Hill has made some strides, and his performance against the Chargers was encouraging. He was 11-for-16 for 136 yards and two touchdowns, against L.A.'s deep reserves, though Payton said it was more about the work he’s done all offseason.
“We’ve seen a significant growth with both him and Teddy,” Payton said. “You’re seeing things take place on a day-to-day basis that maybe weren’t happening a year ago.”
The good news is, Payton doesn’t have to turn Hill into Young just yet, he has a future Hall of Famer of his own atop the depth chart.