Jake

Haener

Haener was the betting favorite to win the starting quarterback job for the Saints before they went with Spencer Rattler under center. He was released by the team as they trimmed down to 53, signed to the practice squad, and then re-signed to the active roster within a week before his eventual release. The team signed DE Fadil Diggs in a corresponding move.

The 26-year-old remains a longshot to find playing time this year behind Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough. Haener was cut at last cuts, signed to the Saints practice squad, and didn’t appear to have any other interest around the league.

Haener is a former fourth-round pick by the Saints in the 2023 NFL Draft. He appeared in eight games for New Orleans last season. While we still don’t know who the Saints starting quarterback will be, we know it won’t be Haener this year. The 26-year-old was reportedly offered a practice squad spot by the Saints should he clear waivers.

Rattler began the preseason as the Saints’ starter and continues to get the practice reps for it. Johnson reports that rookie Tyler Shough and Rattler rotated with the first team in Wednesday’s practice, with Rattler getting “an extended look.” Meanwhile, Jake Haener took just four third-team scrimmage snaps. Johnson believes he is the odd man out of the starting quarterback competition. The Saints’ quarterback room has taken shape with Rattler starting, Shough the backup, and Haener third. Head coach Kellen Moore could go with Rattler to start the season with Shough waiting in the wings to take over eventually.

Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener will continue to get opportunities to compete for the starting role. The Saints currently employ a quarterback rotation with the first-team offense, and they will “continue to do that, leading up to the Chargers game and then [they will] adjust from there.” Rattler has had a decent camp thus far but Shough could end up the starter by default if Rattler fails to separate.

Sure grandpa, let’s get you back to the salary cap page. Loomis noted that “the most important thing here is not speed, it’s accuracy” and said it would be a “coach’s decision.” Considering the new head coach decided he’d feel more comfortable selecting a quarterback in the second round, we’d be surprised if Shough wasn’t the starter. But this was always going to come down to a training camp battle. Get ready to learn breathless reporting on Spencer Rattler’s 7-on-7 play, buddy.

It’s possible Moreau is just trying to speak positively of a quarterback room that could be in flux for much of the 2025 season, but the veteran tight end said neither Tyler Shough or Spencer Rattler did much to separate themselves from one another during offseason programs. Shough was selected at No. 40 overall by the Saints in this year’s draft, and will almost certainly get a chance to start at some point in the season, but Rattler could also get a look after throwing for 1,317-4-5 in seven games as a rookie. Rattler only completed 57 percent of his passes last season, and doesn’t have much promise as a fifth-round pick, but there may be room for him to see some action in what might be the worst QB room in the league this season. Regardless, this competition will one to watch throughout the offseason as first-year head coach Kellen Moore hopes to find a reliable option come Week 1.

As Schefter notes, Haener was one of three quarterbacks vying for the starting gig in New Orleans. Haener was unlikely to overtake both Spencer Rattler and second-round rookie Tyler Shough on the depth chart and missing time in practice will put him even farther behind. Per Schefter, Haener is expected to miss the remainder of OTAs but should be back for training camp.

All has been quiet on the quarterback front since the Saints lost Derek Carr to an abrupt retirement. Despite having one of the youngest quarterback rooms in the league, Moore doesn’t appear to be in any rush to sign a vet to help his group of signal-callers. While he did concede that there are times where “the opportunity presents itself” to add a quarterback who is an obvious good fit, Moore also noted that the team has “some good guys here that can certainly mentor each other” this season. Rookie second-rounder Tyler Shough feels like a near lock to win a training camp battle between second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler and third-year quarterback Jake Haener, but a vet could throw a wrench in those plans. Moore hasn’t fully ruled out the team signing a veteran quarterback, but he sounds more than prepared to get a full evaluation of what he has on his roster before making any decisions on another option.

The Saints selected rookie Tyler Shough in the second round of this year’s draft and still have holdovers Jake Heaner and Spencer Rattler on the roster. Both Haener and Rattler received extended looks last season following Carr’s injury, so it would stand to reason that Shough will be given every chance to earn the starting gig under center for the Saints. That said, Moore mentioned today that “there’s a blank slate there,” indicating the team will be patient with their decision and let it play out through OTAs, camp, and the preseason. On if the team would consider adding a veteran quarterback, Moore stated, “we’ll certainly have awareness to it.” Stay tuned.