NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Saints will be without Taysom Hill for the rest of the season.
According to NFL insiders Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport, tests today confirmed that Hill is out for the year with the knee injury he suffered Sunday,
"Taysom Hill does, in fact, have a torn ACL and additional damage, source said. A serious injury for the 35-year-old-to-be to recover from," Rapoport said on social media.
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 Cleveland 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.
Hill, a fan favorite, waved to the crowd as it chanted his name as he was driven off the field. Whether it was the last time the 34-year-old will play this year remains to be seen. But it looked serious as teammates knelt nearby while trainers examined Hill on 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. We don’t know what’s going on, but at the end of the day it’s not easy.”
The Saints already have lost top receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed for the year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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