Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has been monitoring the movements of Shaun Hill closely because the team Thomas covers, the Rams, were showing significant interest in the free agent quarterback.
On Saturday, Thomas reported that Hill agreed on a two-year contract to stay put in Detroit.
Hill barely played last year because Matthew Stafford stayed healthy, but things were different in 2010. Hill started ten games with Stafford nursing a shoulder injury, and posted a 16:12 touchdown-to-interception ratio with a solid 61.8 completion rate. Hill makes good decisions and has mastered coordinator Scott Linehan’s offense.
It was always in Hill’s best interest to stay with the Lions because they have a dynamic supporting cast and he can succeed in the system if Stafford goes down again. While no NFL teams view Hill as a legitimate starter, he’s one of the top backup quarterbacks in the game.