Do-it-all Saints tight end Taysom Hill is likely to miss the rest of the season after injuring his knee in New Orleans’ loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
“It looks like an ACL tear,” interim coach Darren Rizzi said Monday. “He’ll probably get a second opinion, but it looks like it will be season-ending.”
Hill converted a key fourth down with another physical run on a direct snap — and that was his last play of the afternoon.
Coming off a career-best performance against the Cleveland Browns in New Orleans’ previous game, Hill was carted off the field with a left knee injury at the 4:36 mark of the fourth quarter as New Orleans tried to drive for a tying touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
The Saints picked up another first down on Derek Carr’s scramble to the Rams 16, but after three Alvin Kamara runs netted 7 yards, edge rusher Jared Verse hit Carr’s arm as he threw on fourth down with 1:09 left, and the ball fluttered to the ground.
Hill’s status was as much a topic of conversation as the 21-14 defeat — the Saints’ first in three games under Rizzi.
Hill, a fan favorite, waved to the crowd as it chanted his name as he was driven off the field.
In a season full of injuries for the Saints (4-8), this one could be as damaging as any. During the Saints’ previous game — a 35-14 victory over the Browns — Hill rushed for 138 yards and three touchdowns on seven carries, caught eight passes for another 50 yards, completed an 18-yard pass and returned a kickoff 42 yards.
Despite having missed four games this season, he is tied for the team lead in rushing touchdowns with six and is second to Kamara in yards rushing with 278 while playing tight end, quarterback, fullback and occasionally lining up as a running back.
“Taysom is a player you don’t see a whole lot in the league. So, having him on your team makes a big difference,” Saints tight end Juwan Johnson said. “It’s not always the best not having him around.”
Hill is the third key offensive player the Saints have lost. He joins leading wide receivers Chris Olave, who suffered a concussion in Week 9 and has not played since, and Rashid Shaheed, who is out for the year after tearing a meniscus in Week 7.
Rizzi said guard Nick Saldiveri also might miss the remaining five games after injuring his left knee in the fourth quarter one series before Hill.
“We got to change some things around,” tackle Taliese Fuaga said. “Taysom’s a big part of this offense, a big part of this team really in general.”
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New Orleans already was without starting center Erik McCoy, who re-injured a groin against Cleveland in Week 11 after missing the previous seven games and could not recover during the Saints’ Week 12 bye.
“I feel like we were able to compartmentalize it,” Carr said after the loss Sunday. “I thought our focus was good. Nick gets hurt and then Taysom gets hurt and like, the rallying cry is, ‘Let’s do it for them.’ I thought our guys were really focused.”
The Saints were hoping to climb back in the NFC South race. Without Hill, though, the quest becomes even tougher. At 4-8, they trail Atlanta and Tampa Bay by two games.
The 34-year-old Hill has 99 catches, 437 carries, 302 passes, 44 touchdowns, 19 tackles and one blocked kick in seven years with the Saints.
“I don’t know if I can compare Taysom to anybody else that I’ve ever coached,” Rizzi said. “There’s not a guy that comes to mind that has been able to do all the different things he’s been able to do just in one game, forget about his career.’
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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