METAIRIE, La. — While the New Orleans Saints are closing in on a deal with quarterback Jameis Winston, they doubled down on their investment in current backup Taysom Hill.

The Saints are signing Hill to a two-year deal, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter, which will take the place of the one-year, $4.641 million tender they had previously offered him as a restricted free agent. The deal is worth $21 million, including $16 million fully guaranteed at signing, plus $1 million more in performance incentives.

Hill posted a message on Instagram on Sunday, saying, “I’ve had this dream since I was a little kid of playing in the NFL. The New Orleans Saints made that dream a reality. … Thank you NOLA.”

Hill, 29, did not sign an offer sheet with any other NFL teams before last week’s deadline for restricted free agents, which gave the Saints exclusive negotiating rights. Depending on how they structure the new deal, they could create some extra salary-cap space to help make room for Winston.

Yahoo Sports was first to report the details of Hill’s contract.

Regardless of Winston’s pending arrival, Saints coach Sean Payton has made it clear that he believes the versatile Hill could potentially succeed Drew Brees as New Orleans’ starting quarterback. But in the meantime, part of the reason the Saints are interested in adding a veteran QB like Winston is so that they can continue to use Hill in his vital role as a QB/RB/WR/TE/FB/special-teams standout.

“Taysom’s earned this opportunity to be our 2 [at quarterback],” Payton told WWL Radio last month after former Saints backup Teddy Bridgewater signed with the rival Carolina Panthers. “But he also has earned the opportunity to play and help us win football games as a ‘one.’ And what I mean by that — whether you call him a receiver, a tight end, a specialist, also a quarterback — yeah, he’s gonna play.

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