Sean Payton says Broncos would check in on Taysom Hill despite Hill’s exit from the Saints

Taysom Hill’s move into free agency has created a new talking point across the NFL, and Denver is at least paying attention. Speaking on the possibility of a fit with the Broncos, Sean Payton said the team would “check in” on Hill, even after Hill publicly indicated he would not return to the New Orleans Saints.

Hill’s status matters because he has been used as more than a traditional quarterback in recent seasons, operating as a weapon in the passing game, a runner, and a situational option that can change how defenses must practice. That kind of multi-role value is hard to replace, especially when a team’s offseason priorities include building packages rather than simply handing out reps.

For the Saints, Hill’s departure creates a void in the specific brand of chess-piece usage that New Orleans leaned on when it wanted to move quickly through heavy personnel and tailor game plans to opponent tendencies. In the short term, the Saints now must replace both the player and the wrinkles he brought, while the market absorbs one of the league’s most recognizable “do-everything” skill profiles.

Payton’s response suggests the Broncos are not viewing Hill as merely a nostalgic name, but as a functional possibility. Payton, who has built game plans around creative exploitation of matchups, implied Denver would evaluate Hill as a potential addition rather than closing the conversation outright.

The timing also affects how quickly the rest of the league can calibrate. Hill had been with the Saints through multiple roles and, according to the reporting, is entering free agency for the first time since 2017. That longer runway with one franchise can leave a player’s decision-making and fit perception unusually scrutinized by multiple teams, particularly those that emphasize hybrid offenses.

Even with Payton’s openness, nothing about the comment amounts to an agreement or a formal move. A “check in” can mean a conversation about interest, a look at fit in existing offensive personnel, and an assessment of what a team can realistically offer. With Hill still available, Denver’s interest also exists alongside whatever other teams choose to pursue similar versatility, which could affect leverage for any negotiation.

For Denver, the broader takeaway is roster composition and playbook construction. The Broncos will likely weigh how Hill’s skill set would interact with their current quarterback room, their running-back usage, and the way they want to distribute tempo and responsibilities across personnel groupings. If they do pursue Hill, the question becomes where he fits best, not whether he is simply capable of doing multiple things.

The next thing to watch is whether other clubs publicly or quietly express similar interest, and whether Denver follows up with more concrete steps after initial contact. Hill’s decision process in the early free-agency window could narrow quickly, and Payton’s comment implies Denver is prepared to respond rather than wait. Meanwhile, the Saints’ offseason planning will continue to absorb the personnel gap left by Hill’s stated departure.