Could Hill start at QB?
By: Jake Rajala
The New Orleans Saints announced that Spencer Rattler will be the starting quarterback in Week 1. This doesn’t come has a surprise after he had a comeback tie against Jacksonville Jaguars.
Rattler has given rave reviews by teammates. Chris Olave has said his arm talent is off the charts. Many players feel like he is a good leader, as well. It seemed fair that he beat out Tyler Shough for the starting gig.
An interesting angle arises: what if Taysom Hill was in the QB competition? After all, he once was a QB2 and nearly a starter. Plus, he has similar ability as Jalen Hurts, who played under Kellen Moore last season. The most fascinating part is that Drew Brees has thrown his hat in the Taysom Hill pool.
Hill may have more experience and talent than Rattler and Shough, but the question is: can he stay healthy? He is 35 years old! As a dual-threat QB, he is bound to take lumps and bruises. If Hill doesn’t stand long enough to be the Saints starting QB, Moore would have to redo the playbook to fit Rattler’s need.
Hill went 3-1 in 2020 and 4-1 in 2021. Clearly, he can win, regardless of how he does it. This may be a similar situation to Tim Tebow. They can both make clutch throws and make plays with their legs on occasion, but they don’t have a very high ceiling.
Right now, Rattler is healthy and he’s proven that he can start over this past summer. He can take command of the offense. He also has a higher ceiling than Hill. If Rattler gets injured or struggles, then if Shough plays poorly, we get an interesting look at what Hill can do as QB1.
Leave a Reply