Hill would start at QB against the Cowboys

However, the New Orleans Saints offense still may not be at full strength against the Dallas Cowboys. Running back Alvin Kamara and offensive tackles Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramczyk are questionable with knee injuries.

Kamara practiced on a limited basis all week, a positive sign. But he is still recovering from the injury that sidelined him for the last three games. The good news is that backup running back Mark Ingram is at full strength after he also missed Thursday night’s loss to the Buffalo Bills with a knee injury.

Meanwhile, Armstead did not practice all week, despite returning to the lineup last Thursday night. And Ramczyk, who has missed the last two games, practiced on a limited basis Monday before sitting out practice on both Tuesday and Wednesday.

Defensive wings Marcus Davenport (shoulder) and Tanoh Kpassagnon (ankle) and linebacker Kaden Elliss (hamstring) were ruled out.

The spate of injuries has taken its toll on a Saints team that has lost four straight games to fall to 5-6 and currently out of the playoff picture in the NFC.

They are hoping Hill can help revive their weak offense, even if he has yet to regain full strength. The versatile playmaker was limited to a backup role the past two weeks. But he said Tuesday that he feels “a lot better” for this week.

Coach Sean Payton stopped just short of naming Hill the starter Tuesday, saying he wanted to see how Hill felt Wednesday. But Taysom has been prepared to start, barring any setbacks in his recovery.

“The last few days have been encouraging for me,” said Hill, who explained that a complete tear is better in most cases, as a partial tear can be continually painful. But he said they have now started to get to the point where he only has to deal with the pain and “it doesn’t limit functionality.” Obviously, that’s key, as Hill’s running ability is a big plus for him.

Hill, 31, replaces Trevor Siemian, who had an 0-4 record as the Saints’ starter after initially getting a win in relief of the injured Jameis Winston in Week 8 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Hill’s opportunity comes a week after he signed a one-time contract extension with the Saints worth a base value of $40 million over four years if he continues to play his usual role as QB/RB/TE/WR, but could be worth as much as $95 million if he becomes the team’s starting quarterback and reaches high incentives.

Hill had a 3-1 record as the Saints’ starter last season as Drew Brees’ replacement before losing to Winston in a battle for the job over the summer.

Winston suffered a season-ending ACL tear in Week 8. But Hill’s own health has complicated his availability this season. He also suffered a concussion in Week 5 that sidelined him until Week 8.

It’s unclear if the Saints would have turned to Hill sooner had he been healthy. Siemian was doing a decent job during his first two weeks in the role. But the Saints offense has regressed with each passing week, due in part to the string of injuries.

Hill’s role with the Saints has been intriguing since he was first taken off waivers from the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted rookie out of BYU in 2017. The 6-foot-2, 221-pounder began playing a key role on special teams that season. He then became a valuable offensive playmaker in his multiple roles over the years, and Payton insisted he had the potential to become Brees’ long-term heir apparent.

Hill has had a quiet season. He is 7-of-8 passing for 56 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. He has run the ball 20 times for 104 yards and 3 TDs. And he has 4 receptions for 52 yards.

For his career, Hill is 101-of-142 passing (71.1%) for 1,103 yards, 4 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. He has run the ball 171 times for 913 yards (5.3 yards per attempt) and 14 touchdowns. And he has 34 receptions for 388 yards and 7 TDs.