Taysom Hill Bio
Taysom Shawn Hill (born August 23, 1990) is an American professional football tight end for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the BYU Cougars as a quarterback and signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2017. After being released during final roster cuts, Hill signed with the Saints shortly afterwards. Noted for his versatility, he has held the official positions of quarterback and tight end while also performing various other offensive and special teams roles, earning him the nickname “the Human Swiss Army Knife” from Saints media.
Early Life and Background
Taysom Shawn Hill was born and raised in Pocatello, Idaho, the youngest of four children of Doug and Natalie Hill. He attended Highland High School in Pocatello, where he lettered in football, basketball, and track before graduating in 2009. As a senior, he threw for 2,269 yards and 18 touchdowns while rushing for 1,491 yards and 24 touchdowns, earning the All-Idaho Player of the Year and Idaho Gatorade High School Player of the Year honors. He also set Highland’s single-season and career records for total offense.
In track and field, Hill competed in the 200 meters and long jump. As a sophomore, he recorded a personal-best 22.5 seconds in the 200 m at the 5A District Regional Meet, and as a senior he won the long jump at the 2009 5A Regional Meet with a mark of 6.85 meters. He was also a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served as a missionary in Sydney, Australia from 2009 to 2011 before enrolling at Brigham Young University.
Path to the NFL
Coming out of high school in 2009, Hill drew multiple scholarship offers from western programs, including Arizona, Boise State, Oregon State, Washington State, Utah, Stanford, and BYU. Heavily recruited by Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh, Hill originally committed to Stanford but, after returning from his church mission, enrolled at BYU in January 2012 after learning Stanford did not allow incoming freshmen to join the team until June. As a freshman in 2012, he played in six games and started two before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
Hill was named BYU’s full-time starter for 2013, rushing for 259 yards and three touchdowns against Texas, and passing for 417 yards with four touchdowns while adding 194 rushing yards in a victory over Houston. In 2014, he led the Cougars to a 4–0 start before suffering a fractured leg against Utah State. A Lisfranc injury cost him most of 2015, after which he was granted a medical redshirt and returned as the starter in 2016, when he changed his jersey number to 7 to honor his late older brother Dexter. A late-season elbow injury cut his 2016 campaign short, and he entered the 2017 NFL draft process, where he impressed at BYU’s pro day with a 4.44-second 40-yard dash and a 38.5-inch vertical.
Taysom Hill Career
Early Career (2017)
Hill went undrafted in the 2017 NFL draft and signed with the Green Bay Packers as a free agent on May 5, 2017. He appeared in three preseason games, completing 14 of 20 passes for two touchdowns while adding a rushing score, but was released during final roster cuts on September 2. The New Orleans Saints claimed him off waivers the following day, and he was promoted to the active roster on December 3, recording two special teams tackles on Panthers kick returner Fozzy Whittaker in his NFL debut.
Versatile Role in New Orleans (2017–2019)
Hill opened the 2018 season as the Saints’ third-string quarterback but was deployed as a runner, receiver, passer, and primary kick returner throughout the year. Against the Atlanta Falcons that September, he had one of his most versatile NFL performances, returning three kicks for 64 yards, making a tackle on a punt, and rushing three times for 39 yards while lining up as a blocking tight end. He finished 2018 with 37 carries for 196 yards and two touchdowns, three receptions for four yards, 64 passing yards with one interception, and 14 kickoff returns for 348 net yards.
During the 2019 season, Hill became a featured offensive weapon. Against the Atlanta Falcons on Thanksgiving, he blocked a punt, rushed for a 30-yard touchdown, and caught a three-yard score, breaking the record for most touchdown receptions by a quarterback in a single season. That year, he also set the NFL mark for most single-season touchdowns without a turnover by a quarterback, with seven.
Starting Quarterback Era (2020–2021)
In March 2020, the Saints placed a first-round restricted free agent tender on Hill worth $4.641 million, and on April 26 he signed a two-year extension that brought the total deal to around $21 million. On November 20, 2020, he made his first career start at quarterback against the Atlanta Falcons, completing 18 of 23 passes for 233 yards and adding 51 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a 24–9 victory. On March 14, 2021—the same day Drew Brees announced his retirement—Hill signed a four-year, $40 million extension with the Saints, although he lost the starting job to Jameis Winston.
New Orleans Saints Tight End Era (2022–Present)
New head coach Dennis Allen changed Hill’s primary position from quarterback to tight end in March 2022, and the team re-signed Jameis Winston while adding veteran Andy Dalton. Listed as a tight end on the depth chart, Hill still operated heavily as a wildcat rusher and scored a career-high four touchdowns in a 39–32 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 5 of 2022, earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week. On January 9, 2022, he suffered a Lisfranc injury against the Falcons that required surgery.
After the 2022 season, Hill was moved back to quarterback to take advantage of the NFL’s newly implemented emergency third quarterback rule, finishing 2023 with 81 carries for 401 yards and four rushing touchdowns, plus 33 receptions for 291 yards and two scores. In Week 11 of 2024, he became the second player in the Super Bowl era to record 8 catches, 130 rushing yards, and 3 touchdowns in a single game, matching LaDainian Tomlinson’s 2002 stat line, but he suffered a season-ending torn ACL in Week 13. He was activated from the PUP list on October 4, 2025, and during a 29–6 win over the New York Jets in Week 16 he became the only player in the Super Bowl era with 1,000 career receiving, rushing, and passing yards.
Driving Style and Strengths
Hill’s game is built on rare positional versatility and downhill physicality at 6 ft 2 in and 221 lb. Coaches have used him as a runner on designed quarterback sweeps, a flexed tight end, a motion receiver, a wildcat passer, a kick returner, and a special teams blocker, allowing offensive coordinators to create mismatches against base defensive personnel. His experience as a starting college and NFL quarterback also gives the Saints a reliable emergency option under center.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Hill’s signature moments are his 2019 record for most single-season touchdowns without a turnover by a quarterback, his 2022 four-touchdown performance against the Seattle Seahawks, and his 2024 stat line that joined LaDainian Tomlinson in the Super Bowl era record book. His 2025 milestone as the only player in the Super Bowl era with 1,000 yards receiving, rushing, and passing cemented his reputation as one of the league’s most unique utility players.
Taysom Hill Career Wins
Taysom Hill’s win totals reflect his unusual role, as he has not been a full-time starting quarterback and many of his victories came while serving in specialized packages. He has, however, started and won games at quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, including a 24–9 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in November 2020.
New Orleans Saints Highlights
Hill’s tenure with the New Orleans Saints has been defined by postseason runs, including a 2018 Divisional Round comeback win over the Philadelphia Eagles in which he converted a fake punt for a first down, and a 2019 NFC Championship Game appearance against the Los Angeles Rams in which he caught a touchdown. He has also contributed to multiple NFC South titles, including clinching the division in 2018 with a blocked punt that set up a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Other Wins and Performances
Before reaching the NFL, Hill guided the Highland Rams to All-Idaho recognition and set school records for total offense, then led BYU to several signature victories, including a 40–21 win over Texas in 2013 and a 47–46 shootout win over Houston the same season. He has also earned weekly NFL awards, including NFC Special Teams Player of the Week in 2018 and NFC Offensive Player of the Week in 2022.
Taysom Hill Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Although Hill does not come from a long line of professional football players, his older brother Dexter passed away in the spring of 2016, an event that led Taysom to change his jersey number to 7 in tribute during his final BYU season. His brother-in-law is former BYU and NFL linebacker David Nixon, who married into the family.
Personal Life
Hill married Emily Nixon in 2014 at the Salt Lake Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah, and the couple has two children. He is the youngest of four children of Doug and Natalie Hill, and his first name comes from the Taysom Construction Company, a former business in his hometown of Pocatello, Idaho. He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
2025 Season Performance
Hill entered the 2025 season recovering from a torn ACL suffered late in 2024 and was activated from the PUP list on October 4, 2025, for his season debut. Working primarily as a tight end and situational offensive weapon under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, he was deployed in fullback alignments and motion roles that differed from his earlier usage. His statistical production was modest in volume but historically significant in scope.
During a 29–6 Week 16 victory over the New York Jets, Hill became the only player in the Super Bowl era to accumulate 1,000 career receiving, rushing, and passing yards, underscoring his rare positional versatility. He closed the 2025 season with 52 carries for 114 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown, along with 11 receptions for 91 receiving yards. With one year remaining on his four-year, $40 million extension signed in 2021, Hill remains a central figure in the Saints’ offensive identity heading into the offseason.
