What More Must Taysom Hill Do Before He Retires To Be Considered An NFL Hall Of Fame Player?

Artifactual said
Devin Hester was inducted into the NFL HOF. He was a One Trick Pony. An Excellent Return Specialist. An ordinary average position player as a WR only.

He doesn't hold or share 36 NFL Records (and counting) as Taysom Hill does which are varying and unique.

Every NFL Record held by Devin Hester relates specifically to being a return specialist.

1. Most special teams touchdowns in a career: 20 ( 14 punts, 6 kickoffs, and 1 missed field goal.)

2. Most non-offensive TDs in a career: 20.

3. Most kickoff and punt return TDs in a career: 19.

4. Most punt return TDs in a career: 14.

5. Most punt return TDs in a season: 4 (2007)

6. Most kickoff return TDs for a game: 2 - Tied

7. Most combined return TDs in a season: 6 (2007, 2 kickoffs, 4 punts)

8. Most rookie combined return TDs in a season: 5 (2006, 3 punt, 2 kickoffs.)

9. Most combined return TDs in a game: 2 kickoffs (12/11/06), 1 punt, 1 kickoff (11/25/07)

10. Most non-offensive TDs in a season: 6, twice - 3 punts, 2 kickoffs, 1 missed field goal (2006), 4 punts, 2 kickoffs (2007)

11. Fastest TD in Super Bowl History: 14 seconds.

12. First Super Bowl opening kick returned for a TD: Super Bowl XLI, 92 yards.

The NFL Hall of Fame has broadened their scope of players deserving of induction. Devin Hester was just inducted into the NFL HOF in 2024.

It's not beyond reason that Taysom Hill will be considered to be inducted into the NFL HOF based on the many unique NFL Records he holds or shares.

Hester's return TD numbers are unlikely to get duplicated. The closest active player is Cordarrelle Patterson, with nine return TD's versus 20 for Hester. The closest in history was at 14 (Brian Mitchell).

You could argue that Hill's unique triple threat numbers are unlikely to be repeated, but that is more because a player will be dominant enough in a single role to keep getting the ball in that same role throughout most of their career. If Payton had abandoned the QB idea and used Hill similarly to how he is used now, he may have been able to rack up some numbers.

As it stands, Hill isn't in the career top 250 for rushing yards, receiving yards, or receiving TD's, and he is tied for 203rd for rushing TD's. I didn't even check passing because he won't be on those lists.

Without any big career numbers or awards, it's really hard to say he deserves to be there. Even a SBMVP might not help him, as the PFR HOF monitor doesn't even use that in their scoring (because single game records/awards aren't the ticket to the hall).