In a vote by his teammates, New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill has been named the club's 2025 Ed Block Courage Award winner, annually awarded to a player from each National Football League team that has persevered through adversity.
The award was created in honor of Ed Block, the former head athletic trainer of the Baltimore Colts, to annually recognize one player from every NFL team who best exemplifies a commitment to sportsmanship and courage.
Hill's teammates voted him as the club's winner based on his work ethic and perseverance in his rehabilitation from knee injury, where he tore multiple ligaments, including his ACL, in Week 13 of the 2024 season.
Originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Green Bay Packers in 2017 out of BYU, the Pocatello, Idaho native joined the Saints at the conclusion of the preseason. After initially making contributions on special teams as a rookie, Hill developed into one of the most versatile players in NFL history, contributing on virtually every facet of offense as a runner and a passer, playing multiple positions. In 112 regular season games with 51 starts at several positions, Hill has completed 194-of-307 passes for 2,388 yards with 11 touchdowns. In the run game, he has carried 469 times for 2,506 yards with 34 touchdowns. As a pass catcher, he has 102 receptions for 961 yards with 11 touchdowns. On special teams, he has made 16 tackles, blocked one punt, returned 20 kickoffs for 489 yards and forced a safety.
Coming off the most productive game of his career as an offensive weapon in Week 11 of the 2024 season vs. Cleveland, when he carried seven times for 138 yards (19.7 avg.) with a career-high three touchdowns and catching a career-high eight passes for 50 yards, earning him NFC Offensive Player of the Week, Hill suffered the knee injury in the second half of the Dec. 1 game vs. the Los Angeles Rams.
Hill's mid-December surgery forced a strenuous recovery and rehabilitation process that had a challenging timeline for the start of the 2025 season. Following his diligent and extensive work with the Saints medical staff, Hill returned to the practice field on October 1, missing only four contests. Four days later, Hill made his season debut in the team's
26-14 win over the New York Giants on October 5, seeing action on both offense and special teams. In the team's 17-7 win at Carolina on November 9, Hill gained two first downs in a period of just under five minutes on New Orleans' final offensive drive, which guaranteed the Panthers would never get the ball back. In 2025, Hill has played in the last seven contests with two starts and has rushed for 69 yards with one touchdown, caught three passes, completed a pass for 19 yards, and provided outstanding leadership to a youthful Saints offense.
Persistence and hard work have always been a part of Hill's makeup. During his college career, Hill suffered four season-ending injuries. He has also had previous hardships as a pro, where he suffered a significant foot injury that required surgery and extensive rehabilitation in the 2021 season finale against Atlanta, but returned for the 2022 season opener against the Falcons and rushed four times for 81 yards with one touchdown in a 27-26 Saints win.
In the spring, Hill will travel to Baltimore, Md. along with the other 31 Ed Block Courage Award team recipients to represent the club and participate in several events, including the Ed Block Celebration and VIP Sponsor Brunch. The visit will conclude with a special Courage Awards Ceremony and a St. Vincent's Villa Community Outreach, where the abused children of the Baltimore Ravens Courage House will present each player with their trophies.
