Taysom Hill has brought his singular nine-year association with the New Orleans Saints to an end, bidding an emotional farewell to the city while stopping short of announcing his retirement from the NFL.

The 35-year-old, who remained unsigned as training camps opened around the league, used a statement on social media to confirm that a return to New Orleans was ‘not in the cards’. Hill said he had spent the offseason considering the future with his family, but still had no definitive answer about his next move.

“For the last nine years, New Orleans has been so much more than the city where I played,” Hill wrote in a statement subsequently shared in full by the Saints. “It’s where my family built a life, where our oldest son was born, and where we formed relationships and made memories that will stay with us forever.

“I’ve taken time this offseason to think carefully about what comes next for my family and me. I still don’t have a clear answer about what the future holds, but I know that returning to New Orleans is not in the cards. As training camp begins, I didn’t want my silence to be misinterpreted and, as hard as it is to put into words, I wanted to express my gratitude.”

Hill’s departure closes one of the more unconventional player-team relationships in modern NFL history. Claimed by New Orleans after being waived by the Green Bay Packers in 2017, the former BYU quarterback became a special teams regular before Sean Payton began finding increasingly imaginative ways to involve him on offense. Hill started nine games at quarterback but was never confined to the position, taking snaps as a runner, receiver and blocker while retaining duties in the kicking game. By the end of the 2025 season, Hill had become the only player of the Super Bowl era to surpass 1,000 career yards passing, rushing and receiving.

His final totals for the Saints stand at 2,426 passing yards, 2,551 on the ground and 1,034 as a receiver. Hill also accumulated 57 offensive touchdowns — 34 rushing, 12 passing and 11 receiving — despite never having a conventional full-time role. That willingness to move wherever New Orleans needed him became central to his popularity. The connection extended beyond what he did on Sundays, as Hill acknowledged in thanking owner Gayle Benson, his team-mates and the wider organisation.

“To the city of New Orleans: thank you,” he continued. “I had always heard, ‘If you love New Orleans, New Orleans will love you back’, and that could not have been more true. You exceeded every expectation I had of what it would be like to live and play in a city. The passion, loyalty and support you showed my family and me over these nine seasons were truly one of a kind. We will always be grateful for the way you embraced us both on and off the field. What I will remember most are the relationships I built with so many people throughout the organisation. You helped make me a better player, but more importantly, a better person.”

Hill tore the ACL in his left knee late in the 2024 season but returned to appear in the Saints’ final 13 games last year. He was chosen by team-mates as the club’s Ed Block Courage Award recipient and, fittingly, reached his historic three-way yardage landmark during a vintage performance against the New York Jets in New Orleans’ final home game.

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis responded to the farewell by describing Hill’s career with the organisation as ‘remarkable in all facets’, praising his intelligence, athletic ability and unselfish approach.

“Additionally, he’s been a great team-mate and excellent leader and mentor,” Loomis said. “We thank Taysom for all his great contributions, and we are positive that a day will come when all of his accomplishments can be properly celebrated.”

Hill ended his own message with words that encapsulated the bond, regardless of whether his playing career continues elsewhere: “Forever a Saint.”