The New Orleans Saints have lost their Hall of Fame quarterback and mastermind head coach in back-to-back offseasons, with Sean Payton retiring from the team Tuesday. That leaves New Orleans without a head coach in an offseason where they are scheduled to be $74 million over the salary cap.
One of the reasons the Saints are over the cap is quarterback Taysom Hill’s contract, which was originally a four-year, $40 million deal. Hill still has three more seasons on that deal, with a large chunk of that salary still on the books. Payton has routinely pushed for Hill to be a regular player in New Orleans’ offense despite his limited throwing ability and lack of strong quarterback play in general. With Payton departing, it’s hard to see how the Saints move on from Hill’s contract without eating a large chunk of it. Let’s see how New Orleans handles Hill’s deal in the coming weeks.