Saints take advantage of loophole in new NFL rule
May 23, 2017; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Taysom Hill (8) during organized team activities. Mandatory credit: Mark Hoffman/Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY Sports
The NFL is instituting a new quarterback rule for the 2023 season. The New Orleans Saints may have found a way to use it to their advantage.
After the San Francisco 49ers’ QB debacle during last season’s 2023 NFC Championship Game, NFL owners agreed on a bylaw that allows teams to field an emergency third quarterback on game days. The 3rd QB can only play if both QB1 and QB2 are either injured and/or ejected from the game, but it essentially grants a team another backup QB.
The Saints just so happen to have a player in Taysom Hill who can effectively play both tight end and quarterback. While Hill was listed as a tight end throughout training camp and the preseason, New Orleans has switched his positional designation to QB for Week 1.
Taysom Hill listed as a QB on the Week 1 roster. Was a TE all camp
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) September 4, 2023
Listing Hill as a QB would allow the Saints to dress an additional player on their active game-day roster while still having three quarterbacks. This is useful because Hill can line up at different positions despite his quarterback designation. The downside is he would have to serve as the second quarterback if Derek Carr were to get hurt or ejected. Jameis Winston or rookie Jake Haener would then serve as the emergency quarterback for the Saints, behind Carr and Hill.
The Saints can take advantage of this rule because second-string quarterbacks are allowed to play other positions during a game, while the emergency quarterback is not allowed to.
Hill has been a human Swiss army knife for the Saints throughout his career. He hovered between both QB and wide receiver during his first five seasons. Last year, he was officially designated as a tight end for the first time.
Hill has gone 185-of-287 with 10 touchdowns and 8 interceptions across six NFL seasons.
