Saints head coach Kellen Moore said Saturday that all three of the team's currently rostered quarterbacks -- Haener, Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler -- will have an opportunity to compete for the starting quarterback role during camp in the wake of Derek Carr's retirement, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Carr's unexpected retirement Saturday swung the door wide open for one of New Orleans' three young quarterbacks to take the reigns as the team's starting QB in 2025. None of the trio has much experience -- Shough is a rookie, Haener has thrown just 39 NFL passes, and Rattler has thrown 228 passes -- so they are beginning the competition on a pretty level playing field in that regard. However, Haener is probably a longshot to earn the QB1 nod based on the fact that Rattler was the primary choice to step in last season after Carr was hurt, while Shough has the most invested in him, as the Saints selected him in the second round of April's NFL Draft. Haener also looked overwhelmed in his lone NFL start, completing just four of 10 passes for 49 yards and an interception in Week 15 last season before being benched after halftime.
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Saints' Jake Haener: Logs one subpar start in 2024
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Haener completed 18 of 39 passes for 226 yards with one touchdown and one interception during eight regular-season appearances for the Saints in 2024. He also recorded 11 rushing attempts for 22 yards.
Haener failed to impress during any of his significant opportunities this season. The second-year quarterback came in for mop-up duty during back-to-back blowouts in Week 1 and Week 2, and he stepped in when QB1 Derek Carr suffered an oblique injury Week 5. But, the Saints started rookie Spencer Rattler when Carr missed the following three games. Haener didn't get his first chance to start until the Week 15 loss to the Commanders, in which he was benched after completing four of 10 passes for 39 yards and an interception in the first half. Haener never saw the field again for the rest of the season, as New Orleans started Rattler for the final three games. In two seasons, Haener has thrown just one touchdown and has passed for over 100 yards once. The Saints don't appear to have a surefire long-term plan at quarterback after back-to-back underwhelming seasons with the 33-year-old Carr. Given Haener's apparent lack of growth and production, it's unlikely he'll be anything more than a QB2, or possibly even QB3, for the Saints moving forward.
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Saints' Jake Haener: Benched early in loss Sunday
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Haener completed four of 10 passes for 49 yards and one interception during Sunday's 20-19 loss against Washington. He also rushed once for seven yards.
Haener was making his first career start in place of injured signal-caller Derek Carr, who suffered a concussion and hand fracture during last week's win over the Giants. However, the second-year quarterback struggled against the Commanders' middling defense and tossed an interception during the first half. This led New Orleans to bench Haener for rookie Spencer Rattler coming out of halftime. The Saints went on four scoring drives in the second half and came up just short on a last-second two-point conversion attempt that would have won the game. Rattler went 10-for-21 for 135 yards and a touchdown during the second half. Given each quarterback's performance Sunday, it's likely that Rattler get the start ahead of Haener for next week's contest against the Packers on Monday, Dec. 23.
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Saints' Jake Haener: Won't start Week 6
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Haener is slated to remain the Saints' No. 2 quarterback for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers with head coach Dennis Allen announcing Wednesday that rookie Spencer Rattler will start the Week 6 contest in place of the injured Derek Carr (oblique), Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.
Haener has served as the Saints' top backup all season while Rattler has been inactive as the No. 3 quarterback in each of the team's first five games, but the fifth-round pick out of South Carolina will leapfrog Haener on the depth chart with Carr set to miss at least one start. After Carr was injured in Monday's loss to the Chiefs, Haener directed the offense for the final drive of the night but didn't impress in his limited action, completing two of seven pass attempts for 17 yards and carrying twice for 11 yards. Other than stating that Rattler gives the Saints the best chance to win, Allen declined to provide many specifics regarding why the rookie was chosen to start over Haener, who is only a year older than Rattler and was actually drafted higher (fourth-round choice in 2023).
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Saints' Jake Haener: Steps in for injured Carr
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Haener entered Monday's 26-13 loss to the Chiefs in the fourth quarter in relief of injured starter Derek Carr (oblique) and completed two of seven pass attempts for 17 yards while adding 11 yards on two carries.
Carr tweaked his oblique on an incomplete fourth-down pass attempt with 9:32 remaining in the fourth quarter and didn't return for the Saints' final drive of the night, with Haener getting pressed into duty in his stead. Haener's prior two NFL regular-season appearances had come at the tail end of blowouts, but the 2023 fourth-round pick saw his first action in a more competitive setting Monday. Carr will likely undergo further testing on his oblique in the coming days before the Saints have a better feel for his status heading into their Week 6 game against the Buccaneers on Sunday, but if Carr is forced to miss that contest, Haener would presumably be in line for his first career start.
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Saints' Jake Haener: Serving as No. 2 quarterback
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Haener carried three times for minus-3 yards in Sunday's 44-19 win over the Cowboys.
Haener has opened the season as the Saints' No. 2 quarterback, backing up Derek Carr in both of the team's first two contests while Spencer Rattler has been a healthy inactive as the third man on the depth chart. With Carr leading the Saints to blowout wins over the Panthers and Cowboys, Haener has seen garbage-time action in the fourth quarter of both contests. The two late-game cameos represented his first NFL appearances, as Haener didn't see any action with the Saints as a fourth-round rookie a season ago.
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Saints' Jake Haener: Diagnosed with skin cancer
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Haener revealed Friday that he has a rare form of skin cancer on his face and will have an evaluation Thursday to determine his treatment plan moving forward, Mike Triplett of New Orleans.Football reports.
Haener added that the condition isn't believed to be life-threatening, but he is still determining whether to put off treatment. If Haener opts to put off treatment, he would likely continue to compete against rookie fifth-round draft pick Spencer Rattler for the backup quarterback job behind Derek Carr throughout training camp and the preseason.
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Saints' Jake Haener: Never plays as rookie
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Haener did not appear in a game during his 2023 rookie season.
Haener was suspended for the first six games of the season and never appeared in any games as a rookie. The fourth-round pick likely never would have seen the field even if he was not suspended, as veteran Jameis Winston appeared firmly planted as the Saints' primary backup quarterback behind Derek Carr heading into the regular season. The starting signal-caller was knocked out of three games due to injuries this season, and Winston handled the remainder of quarterback reps in his absence. Haener will likely get an opportunity to compete with Winston for the No. 2 quarterback spot heading into the 2024 campaign.
