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    Taysom Hill announces departure from Saints

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    Free agent TE/QB Taysom Hill said a return to the Saints is “not in the cards.”

    In a statement posted by the Saints on Wednesday, Hill thanked New Orleans for his nine years spent in the organization. The 35-year-old said he is “still working through what comes next”, but he will not return to the Saints as he remains a free agent. Hill’s market is small but a team may be willing to take a chance on him for a limited offensive role; Broncos head coach Sean Payton utilized Hill a lot in New Orleans and may be willing to have him around again. It’s the end of an era for Hill and the Saints heading into the 2026 season.
Will Olave's hold-in impact his fantasy value?
Patrick Daugherty and Denny Carter discuss Chris Olave's hold-in at New Orleans Saints training camp as he seeks a new deal.

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  • NO Tight End #7
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    Hill’s contract will void when the league year kicks off, making him a free agent. Given the send off that he received towards the end of the season (Sean Payton), it would be surprising (Sean Payton coaches the Broncos) if Hill returned to New Orleans. Entering his age-36 season (The Broncos could sign Taysom Hill), Hill figures to have a limited market (Sean Payton loves Taysom Hill) as a free agent. (Might look good in orange and blue.) We’ll see what the future holds for him. (Sean Payton is calling Taysom Hill as you read this blurb.)
  • NO Tight End #7
    In what was probably his final game for the Saints and perhaps even as an NFL player, Hill surprisingly notched zero carries. All too surprisingly, he exited banged up, something that has been a theme during a rugged career that has frequently called on him to slam into opposing linebackers and DBs. Going on 36 years old, Hill was overpaid for much of his Saints tenure but probably under-appreciated by fans who judge things on bottom-line fantasy production. If a retirement announcement isn’t forthcoming, Hill’s goal would be to land guaranteed money on the open market, which is no sure thing considering his age, injury history, and lack of a true position.
  • NO Tight End #7
    Hill was not targeted and did not attempt a pass. He rushed 12 times last week while also catching four passes and throwing one. That was likely his final home game as a Saint and the team clearly made it a point to give him a proper sendoff. Facing the Titans in Tennessee, Kellen Moore deployed Audric Estime as his lead back. Estime ran 19 times today. Hill’s time in the spotlight has come to an end. Fantasy managers can ignore him for Week 18.
  • NO Running Back #41
    This leaves RB Audric Estime as the nominal starter, though TE Taysom Hill logged 16 touches to Estime’s eight last week. The Saints apparently wanted to feature Hill in Week 16, in what could be his final home game as a Saint. Projecting each player’s Week 17 role is difficult. Neither one should be considered a confident play, though the Titans’ defense is unimposing.
  • NO Running Back #30
    Estime was widely believed to be the Saints’ No. 1 back headed into Week 16 with Devin Neal and Alvin Kamara sidelined with injuries. But it was gadget player Taysom Hill who easily led the New Orleans backfield with 12 rushes for 42 yards, including all of the goal line work. Estime had sold pass game usage, running a pass route on 34 of the Saints’ 55 drop backs on the day. RB Evan Hull ran ten routes and was not targeted. Estime should be considered a deep league flex play in Week 17 against the Titans.
  • NO Tight End #7
    Hill, functioning as the centerpiece of the New Orleans offense, also threw a touchdown to Chris Olave — a 38 yard strike up the seam to put the game away against an overmatched Jets team. Hill easily led the Saints offense with his 12 rushing attempts; Audric Estime had five carries for 19 yards while Evan Hull had three yards on five rushes. Hill’s stat line could have looked even better if he hadn’t had a 20-yard receiving score called back on a holding penalty. With Alvin Kamara (knee, ankle) and Devin Neal sidelined, it’s clear the Saints see Hill as their No. 1 backfield option for now. Hill’s tight end eligibility will make him something close to a must-play option in Week 17 against the Titans, assuming Kamara does not suit up.
  • NO Tight End #7
    Hill also recovered his own fumble. This is getting rather ridiculous. Today was the third time this season Hill finished with negative rushing yards. All his explosion is gone during his age-35 season. It’s time for the Saints to move on from his change-of-pace handles. Fantasy managers should have already done so long ago.
  • NO Running Back #24
    Neal will presumably start with RB Alvin Kamara (knee/ankle) sidelined. The Dolphins’ run defense allows 5.0 yards per carry and only two teams have allowed more explosive run plays than them (47). Saints TE Taysom Hill could handle a frustrating number of carries, particularly in the red zone, but Neal should at least operate as the lead running back on passing downs, while handling a reasonable rushing workload. Neal is an albeit uncomfortable borderline RB2/3.
  • NO Tight End #7
    Hill also failed to complete both of his passing attempts. The Saints had a sizeable package of running plays for him in short-yardage situations as he picked up multiple short first downs. Hill also got goal line usage, but was stuffed multiple times. The Saints stuck him at quarterback for a third-and-goal in the second half but the snap sailed over Hill’s head, which he then picked up and threw out of the end zone for an intentional grounding penalty. The offense as a whole failed to convert in the red zone, with many of the stalls driven by failed plays to Hill. As long as Alvin Kamara (knee) is out, Hill will still have a role in the backfield, though it just makes the rest of the backfield murkier rather than making Hill fantasy relevant.
  • NO Tight End #7
    Hill had one passing attempt go incomplete and one target that was incomplete as well. The Saints would do Hill a favor if they didn’t make it so obvious every time they were about to hand him the ball around the goal line. Hill’s package has never looked so ineffective heading into the Saints’ Week 11 bye week.

Rotoworld

  • BUF Wide Receiver #11
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    Bills signed WR Dante Pettis, formerly of the Saints.

    Pettis, 30, caught 9-of-11 targets for 127 yards with the Saints last season. The Bills correspondingly released WR Jalen Virgil with a non-football injury designation.
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    ESPN’s Rich Cimini reports that Jets coach Aaron Glenn confirmed his team’s “interest” in free agent CB Terrion Arnold.

    Arnold is facing felony kidnapping and armed robbery charges. It was previously reported that three NFL teams had expressed interest in him after the Lions cut him. The Jets are apparently one of them. The Texans had been identified as another. Glenn characterized his team’s inquiry as doing its “due diligence.” He previously coached Arnold during his time as the Lions’ defensive coordinator. A deal does not appear imminent.
  • DEN Quarterback #10
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    The Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel reports that Broncos QB Bo Nix (ankle) “appears” to be “full-go at training camp.”

    The Broncos kicked things off with two “acclimation practices and officially open training camp to fans on Friday morning,” so we should get a clearer picture of Nix’s participation level tomorrow. Broncos RT Mike McGlinchey said Nix’s hard work this offseason is “the reason why he’s in position to be full-go from Day 1 to start.” It sounds like Nix should participate fully tomorrow. Stay tuned.
  • GB Wide Receiver #81
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    Packers signed WR Kaden Prather, formerly of the Bills.

    Prather caught nine passes for 148 yards for the UFL’s Louisville Kings during the 2026 season. He spent the 2025 season as a practice squad player for the Bills.
  • NYG Wide Receiver #1
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    ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reports that Giants WR Malik Nabers (knee) said he has been running routes for “weeks” and that his reported clean-up procedure date was incorrect.

    Well, that could explain a lot. Nabers shocked many of us by showing off fairly crisp route running at training camp this week. A week ago, he was thought to be a candidate for the PUP list. Back in May, news broke that Nabers had undergone a clean-up procedure on his knee “multiple weeks ago.” Although ambiguous, it was apparently incorrect. Nabers did not specify in which direction, but given his participation, one assumes the procedure occurred earlier than the report indicated. Positive reports continue to roll in for the young star.
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    ESPN’s Nate Taylor reports that the Chiefs are catering to RB Kenneth Walker’s formation preferences and featuring him in the screen game.

    Taylor reported early in June that the Chiefs were “starting to experiment” with what works best with Walker’s skills. The veteran back prefers plays from under center rather than shotgun formation. Now that the Chiefs’ training camp is underway, we can confirm that they are putting his preferences into practice. More than half of the Chiefs’ snaps in the first team period came from under center, allowing Walker to practice running between the tackles under coach Andy Reid’s watchful eye. The Chiefs also continue to give Walker reps in the screen game, which can help keep Walker involved in the passing game, regardless of his development as a receiver and pass protector this offseason. Impressed with Walker’s screen game chops thus far, Chiefs C Creed Humphrey described Walker as “a dynamic player, a freak athlete and great with his reads.” Walker is a fantasy football RB1 who could surprise some this season.
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    ESPN’s Nate Taylor reports that Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes focused on taking snaps under center and working on play action on Thursday.

    This is notable because Mahomes used shotgun formation on 80.6 percent of snaps last season, the third-highest in the league per Taylor, and the Chiefs’ 22.6 percent play-action rate ranked just 26th. NFL offenses averaged 7.76 yards per pass play with play action and 6.65 without it last year. Upping the play-action rate would be great for fantasy purposes.
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    Colts hosted free agent WR Chase Claypool for a workout on Thursday.

    Claypool has not played since the 2023 season. Were he to sign with the Colts, he would not meaningfully impact the incumbent players’ target shares.
  • NO Wide Receiver #12
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    Saints signed WR Chris Olave to a four-year, $132 million extension through 2030.

    The deal includes $90 million guaranteed. Olave, 26, ranked sixth in the NFL with 151 targets last year despite missing Week 18 due to blood clots in his lungs. He spent the offseason recovering and, aside from holding in yesterday, participating as much as possible. He was cleared to fully practice on Tuesday. He is a fantasy football WR1, playing in an ascending Saints offense.
  • JAC Running Back #33
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    Sports Illustrated’s John Shipley reports that Jaguars RB Bhayshul Tuten’s “terrific practice performances” have been a consistent part of spring practices and training camp.

    Shipley acknowledges that he keeps writing about how good Tuten has looked, but he reasonably counters that he can only report what he’s seeing. Evidently, he’s seeing Tuten “building a lot of momentum” while RB Chris Rodriguez (foot) is stuck in individual drills. Drafting players in ambiguous backfields has been an established, sharp strategy for years now. Although this bunch could be losing its ambiguity a tad, Tuten’s Rounds 5-6 best ball ADP could still end up being a bargain.