Taysom Hill won’t sign tender soon, but will participate in virtual offseason program

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The deadline has passed for any other team to sign Saints quarterback Taysom Hill, a restricted free agent, to an offer sheet. But Hill remains unsigned, because he hasn’t signed his one-year, $4.7 million tender offer.

Per a league source, Hill doesn’t plan to sign the one-year contract any time soon. He will, however, participate in the team’s virtual offseason program.

As the source explained it, there’s no downside in participating. And it’s not as if refusing to take part in the process would squeeze the Saints to sign Hill to the kind of contract that he could get a year from now, if as expected Hill becomes the successor to Drew Brees.

Hill will be able to participate in the program, despite being unsigned, if he and the Saints agree to a letter of protection ensuring that Hill will get his money if he suffers a season-ending injury while engaging in the team-designed workouts.

At some point, Hill presumably will accept the one-year, $4.7 million tender offer. His only alternative at this point, barring a trade, will be to not play at all. And, obviously, Hill won’t be doing that.