Jake Haener

Spencer Rattler To Start Saints’ Preseason Opener

August 9th, 2025 at 9:27pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Saints head coach Kellen Moore announced on Friday that second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler would start the team’s preseason opener on Sunday.

Rookie Tyler Shough will be the second quarterback to take the field, per Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football, followed by 2023 fourth-rounder Jake Haener. The three young signal-callers have been competing for the Saints’ starting quarterback job this summer, with Shough firmly leading Rattler in PFR’s poll on the battle.

Rattler getting the starting nod for Sunday’s game indicates that he has an early lead in the competition. He’ll get the chance to play with the rest of the first-team offense minus a handful of resting veterans. This week, the former fifth-round pick had back-to-back days as the Saints’ QB1, according to Triplett, the first time any of the quarterbacks led two consecutive practices.

Shough is thought to be the Saints’ quarterback of the future after securing a fully guaranteed rookie contract, but that won’t automatically get him a starting job. He and Rattler are both potential multi-year starters as both will be in New Orleans through at least 2027. The Saints could give Rattler a chance to prove himself this year with a clear backup plan of moving to Shough, either later in the season or in the 2026 offseason.

Haener, meanwhile, has always seemed like the clear QB3 in New Orleans. He only started one game amid Derek Carr‘s injuries in 2024, while Rattler was tabbed for six.

Poll: Who Will Win Saints’ QB Competition?

July 20th, 2025 at 10:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

Speculation about Derek Carr’s Saints future came to an end when he elected to retire in lieu of undergoing shoulder surgery. The procedure would have kept him from playing in New Orleans (or elsewhere) in 2025, so the four-time Pro Bowler brought his career to an end and began the team’s next era under center.

Carr handled starting duties for a pair of campaigns with the Saints after his Raiders tenure came to a close. The arrival of new head coach Kellen Moore brought about questions regarding a departure, but that is of course a moot point now. This year’s training camp will see Moore and his staff evaluate New Orleans’ four remaining signal-callers to determine the pecking order.

That quartet includes undrafted free agent Hunter Dekkers. Like in essentially any case regarding UDFAs, he profiles as a practice squad candidate once roster cuts are made at the end of the summer. The Saints’ other three quarterbacks – Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener – are positioned to battle for the starting gig.

In the wake of the Carr retirement, Moore left the door open to a veteran addition under center. None came about during the late stages of free agency, though, so the Shough-Rattler-Haener trio is set to take part in an open competition. New Orleans has drafted a quarterback during each of the past three years, leaving each contender short on experience.

Shough emerged as a name to watch for the Saints during the pre-draft process as the team sought out a Carr successor capable of playing as early as this year. Entering the league as a 25-year-old, he certainly profiles as a candidate to see the field early at the NFL level. Over the course of his seven years in college, however, Shough only had one full campaign as a starter.

The Oregon/Texas Tech/Louisville product dealt with a number of injuries before managing to remain healthy for a full campaign in 2024. Shough’s size and arm strength made him an intriguing option in this year’s quarterback class, one which is not held in high regard compared to next year’s. Nevertheless, New Orleans could turn to him right away in a bid to evaluate his candidacy as a long-term answer under center.

2025 has seen a notable uptick in guaranteed compensation for second-round rookies. Shough, taken 40th overall, was a figure to watch as he joined the players selected around him in seeking a fully guaranteed pact. He recently succeeded in doing so, securing a favorable structure in terms of the payment schedule. That commitment does not ensure Shough will begin his career atop the depth chart, of course, but it illustrates how he will be a member of New Orleans’ QB setup for years to come.

Rattler fell to the fifth round of his draft class despite being the first signal-caller selected after the six first-rounders in 2024 came off the board. The Oklahoma and South Carolina product saw time after Carr was injured, recording a total of six starts. The Saints lost each of those contests while dealing with a number of other absences and ultimately finishing out the campaign under interim head coach Darren Rizzi. Rattler reached 240 passing yards only twice during his time as a starter, and he threw more interceptions (five) than touchdowns (four).

Expectations are certainly muted entering Year 2 as a result, although Rattler, 24, represents at least an affordable backup option for the remainder of his rookie contract. The arrival of Moore as head coach will offer him a fresh start after last year’s poor showing. A stretch with better health up front and at the receiver position could allow for a better evaluation of Rattler’s ceiling in the NFL. Whether or not he is capable of handling starting duties will be determined to a large extent in 2025, and training camp and the preseason will be key in Rattler’s assessment.

Haener did not see the field during his rookie campaign, one which included a PED suspension. The 26-year-old made one start after Carr’s injury last season, a one-point loss despite his 49 passing yards on four completions. If Moore and Co. keep Haener behind Rattler in the pecking order, the QB2 spot is the best-case scenario for the Washington/Fresno State alum.

Winning the starting gig is certainly a possibility entering camp, but Haener is also candidate to operate as the Saints’ emergency third quarterback if Shough and Rattler are still healthy by Week 1. It will be interesting to see if he can alter the depth chart based on how it stood during his first two NFL seasons.

How do you think New Orleans’ competition will play out? Vote in PFR’s latest poll on who you think will emerge as the team’s Week 1 starter and have your say in the comments section below.

Saints’ Jake Haener Suffers Oblique Strain

May 22nd, 2025 at 8:58am CST by Adam La Rose

The Saints’ quarterback competition will not be conducted at full strength for the remainder of the spring. Jake Haener suffered an oblique strain at the end of yesterday’s practice, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

The injury is likely to keep Haener sidelined for a number of weeks, Schefter adds. The 26-year-old is thus likely to miss the remainder of OTAs. He is expected to return in time for the start of training camp, however. Nevertheless, missed practices of any kind will of course hinder Haener’s development and his hurt his chances of winning the Saints’ starting job.

In the wake of Derek Carr‘s retirement, it became clear New Orleans would not look to add a veteran passer but rather hold an open competition between the team’s remaining options. That list consists of Haener, Spencer Rattler and second-round rookie Tyler Shough. The latter two will continue sharing reps during OTAs in advance of training camp.

Haener’s rookie campaign began with a six-game PED suspension and he did not see the field upon returning to the lineup. The 2023 fourth-rounder made just one start last year after Carr went down for the season. Neither Haener nor Rattler (who made six starts to close out the campaign) managed to record a win while filling in for the Pro Bowler. Improvement will be sought out under new head coach Kellen Moore as New Orleans aims to avoid the injury issues of last year on offense.

Shough enters the NFL with seven years of college experience, and he is one year older than Rattler. That could prove to be advantageous (to an extent) over the coming months, although plenty of time remains for a frontrunner for the Week 1 start to emerge. That responsibility could still fall to Haener, but for now his attention will turn to recovery.

Saints Will Hold Open QB Competition

May 10th, 2025 at 5:12pm CST by Ely Allen

The news of the day in the NFL has centered today around the retirement of Saints (and former Raiders) quarterback Derek Carr. Naturally, there have been several questions surrounding the foreknowledge the team had concerning this decision and how it affects the team moving forward.

In speaking to the media, new head coach Kellen Moore revealed a couple things that give us some insight into the situation. Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football tells us that Moore claimed Carr’s decision “is something that came together recently.” ESPN’s Katherine Terrell recalls that, though the Saints were seeking clarity on the Carr situation prior to the draft, Moore has said “multiple times that the communication was great” throughout the process.

With that in mind, Moore also told the media that the team’s knowledge of the Carr situation impacted the Saints’ decision to draft Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, per Jeff Nowak of WWL Radio. Shough now joins two other passers on their rookie deals in New Orleans’ quarterbacks room. With the absence of a veteran in the group, Moore was asked if they would look to add one. Per John Hendrix of Athlon Sports, Moore responded that the team would “certainly have awareness to it…if the opportunity presents itself.”

Without a veteran in the building, though, Moore has made it clear that Shough, Spencer Rattler, and Jake Haener will all be given an opportunity to compete for the starting job, per Underhill. Taken with the 40th overall pick this year, Shough was drafted higher than both Rattler (150th in 2024) and Haener (127th in 2023). In fact, Shough is the team’s highest-drafted quarterback since New Orleans selected Archie Manning No. 2 overall in 1971. There were 18 quarterbacks drafted by the Saints between Manning and Shough, and only one (Garrett Grayson in 2015) was selected before the fourth round; Grayson was a third-round pick.

Despite having just been drafted, Shough, having spent seven years in college (three at Oregon, three at Texas Tech, and one at Louisville), is not the youngest of the current group of passers; Rattler is 24, Shough is 25, and Haener is 26.

After sitting on the bench for two years in Eugene, Shough took over for Justin Herbert as the Ducks’ starter as a redshirt sophomore in 2020. After seemingly losing his job to Boston College transfer Anthony Brown, he transferred to Texas Tech, earning the starting job in Lubbock immediately. Injuries limited Shough to just 13 starts in three years with the Red Raiders, though, and he found his way to Louisville via the Transfer Portal last year. With the Cardinals, Shough went 8-4, completing 62.7 percent of his passes for 3,195 yards, 23 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He showed decent, though not impressive, mobility throughout his collegiate career, as well.

Rattler started six games for the Saints as a rookie last year. New Orleans lost all six games as he completed only 57.0 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and five interceptions. After sitting out his entire rookie season, partially due to a six-game suspension, Haener didn’t fare much better in his only starting opportunity last year. After Rattler’s initial 0-3 stretch earlier in the season, Haener got the nod to replace an injured Carr in Week 15 of last year. After a first half that saw Haener complete only four of 10 pass attempts for 49 yards and a touchdown, the Saints went to the locker room down 14-0 and came out with Rattler as the starter for the remainder of the season.

Though it seems his days as a quarterback are long gone, Swiss Army tight end Taysom Hill also resides in the room. In 2020 & 2021, Hill started nine games under center with the team going 9-2 with him as a quarterback. In those games, he completed 63.75 percent of his passes for just under 200 passing yards per game. He scored 14 touchdowns (eight passing, six rushing) and threw six interceptions as a starter. Since those years, though, Hill has only attempted 34 passes over the last three years (including just four in 2024). He’s likely not a factor in the starting competition, but his presence on the roster does warrant mentioning.

More likely, the three young passers will be duking it out throughout the offseason in order to earn QB1 honors. Moore will rotate all three of Shough, Rattler, and Haener on the first-team offense until somebody takes hold of the job and refuses to let go.

Saints Will Turn Back To Derek Carr If QB Is Healthy

December 22nd, 2024 at 2:17pm CST by Ben Levine

DECEMBER 24: Rizzi said on Tuesday (via Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football) both Carr and running back Alvin Kamara are attempting to play in Week 17. The latter’s status for the rest of the season is in doubt, but having him in place alongside Carr (and, potentially, wideout Chris Olave) would give New Orleans’ offense a major boost compared to its current state. That, in turn, could help Rizzi’s candidacy to land the Saints’ full-time head coaching gig this offseason.

DECEMBER 19: With the Saints basically out of the playoff picture and rookie Spencer Rattler nearly engineering a comeback attempt on Sunday, it seemed likely that Derek Carr wouldn’t play again this season. However, both head coach Darren Rizzi and GM Mickey Loomis have rejected that notion over the past couple of days.

Earlier today, the Saints announced that Rattler would step back into the starting lineup for Monday’s game against the Packers. Shortly thereafter, Rizzi clarified that the rookie would garner his fourth career start only if Carr wasn’t healthy enough to play (per Ross Jackson of Locked On Saints). The veteran continues to recover from a concussion and fractured hand he suffered back in Week 14.

The Saints sit with a less than one percent chance of making the postseason, and the team will surely be preparing for 2025 over the next few weeks. Still, Carr could work his way back to the field, with Loomis declaring that his squad was going to “try to win every game.”

“He’s gonna be day-to-day, really, and he’s got an issue in his hand and there’s … a reason to be optimistic, but it’s a day-to-day thing,” Loomis explained during an appearance on WWL Radio (via Jeff Nowak of the station’s website). “We’re just gonna have to go along and when he gets to the point where he can function well enough to play in the game, I know … he wants to play and when he can, he will.”

While the Saints’ desire to compete down the stretch is admirable, there are some good reasons to shut down Carr for the year. For starters, only $10MM of the QB’s $40MM earnings in 2025 are guaranteed, but there’s another $30MM guaranteed for injury. By shutting Carr down now, the team can avoid the risk of re-injury and assure that Carr is fully healthy in March (when the injury guarantee would be locked in). As Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com notes, the Raiders benched Carr during his final season with the organization, mostly so they could assure the QB was healthy before the injury guarantee kicked in.

Of course, Carr’s return would signify full health, but the organization may not want to take the risk of the veteran suffering a severe injury that leaves no doubt about the impending guarantees. For what it’s worth, Rizzi shut down the idea that the team would bench Carr to avoid another injury (and the injury guarantee), with the head coach noting that the QB would already be on IR if the Saints wanted to follow that path (via Matthew Paras of The Times-Picayune).

There’s still a chance that Carr is back in New Orleans next season; he’s under contract, after all. Still, if the Saints could avoid the injury guarantee, the front office would have a lot more financial flexibility as they navigate the offseason. Plus, any concern about another injury wouldn’t be completely unfounded, as Carr has dealt with a handful of injuries during the 2024 campaign.

The team could also justify benching Carr thanks to the presence of Rattler. When Carr missed three games back in October, the fifth-round rookie got three starts. The Saints went winless in those games, with Rattler completing 59 percent of his passes for 571 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. When Carr went down a few weeks ago, the team opted to start Jake Haener in Week 15, but the former fourth-round pick didn’t make it to the end of the game. Rattler took over at halftime with the Saints down by 17, and he almost helped guide the team to a comeback victory.

The Saints could be armed with a top-10 pick after the season and would be in prime position to add another young quarterback. Still, with nothing left to play for, it would make sense to see how Rattler (or even Haener) progress over the next few weeks. Based on the recent rumblings out of New Orleans, it sounds like the Saints will end up opting for the veteran if the opportunity presents itself.

Saints Name Jake Haener Starting QB

December 12th, 2024 at 7:58pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Saints head coach Darren Rizzi has named Jake Haener the starting quarterback for the team’s Week 15 matchup with the Commanders, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.

Haener will be the Saints’ third different starting quarterback this season. Derek Carr missed most of October due to an oblique injury, giving rookie Spencer Rattler a chance under center. Rattler struggled in his three starts, which included a benching in favor of Haener in Week 8, so New Orleans went back to Carr as soon as he was healthy in November. Five games later, Carr suffered a fracture in his left hand, and Rizzi put Haener on the field to close out a win over the Giants.

Now, Haener will get his first career start after zero regular season appearances as a rookie in 2023. That was partially due to a six-game suspension for violating league rules on performance-enhancing substances. He overcame skin cancer this summer while competing with Rattler for the Saints’ backup in training camp.

Haener appeared to win that competition by closing out the Saints’ first two games and replacing Carr when he went down in Week 5, but then-head coach Dennis Allen tapped Rattler to start in Week 6. Haener played five garbage-time snaps in Week 7, then took over after Rattler’s benching in Week 8. Haener went back to the sidelines once Carr was healthy with two kneel-downs in a blowout win over the Browns in Week 11.

Haener then closed out the Saints’ Week 14 win over the Giants after Carr exited the game. The veteran has not been officially ruled out for Week 15, per ESPN’s Katherine Terrell, but remains in concussion protocol heading into Friday, indicating that he is unlikely to play.

The Saints are all but eliminated from the playoffs, but they can still salvage some value from this season by evaluating their two young quarterbacks. Their salary cap situation may force New Orleans to move on from Carr in the offseason, so an extended look at Haener under center would give the team some idea if he can start over Rattler in 2025.

Saints’ Derek Carr Suffers Hand Fracture

December 9th, 2024 at 12:50pm CST by Ely Allen

DECEMBER 9: Carr is in fact dealing with a fracture in his left hand, per Rapoport and colleague Tom Pelissero. A multi-week absence is expected as a result, which could very well mean Carr will be out for the remainder of the season.

DECEMBER 8: The Saints’ 2024 NFL season has been a frustrating one full of streaks. Despite breaking up the streaks today with a win, an injury today could lead to another streak of losses to close the season. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, quarterback Derek Carr suffered a fracture in his left, non-throwing hand during today’s win over the Giants.

In an effort to dive over several players to reach the first down marker, Carr was upended and landed directly on his hand and wrist. This led to the initial fear that he had suffered the fracture in his nondominant hand. He ended up leaving the stadium with the injured hand in a cast, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.

The Saints began their season with two dominant wins, with the second coming against a team most thought would be a contender in the NFC. Looking back, the win over the Cowboys wasn’t quite as impressive as was initially thought, which was well-reflected in the six-game losing streak that would follow.

Part of the reason for that losing streak was the loss of Carr at quarterback. An oblique injury forced him to miss three games — all lopsided losses. With Carr out, the Saints opted to start rookie fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler out of South Carolina. In the three losses, Rattler averaged about 190 yards per game, throwing one touchdown to two interceptions. In the second and third starts of his career, Rattler saw second-year passer Jake Haener enter the game in relief of him.

It’s unclear if Carr will miss any time yet, but it’s highly likely. We often see defenders play with a club cast on an injured hand, but even though it’s not his throwing hand, it would be extremely difficult for Carr to receive the snap under center or catch a snap in shotgun with a cast on his left hand. Add in the risk of further damage with little left to play for as a 5-8 team with a difficult path to the playoffs ahead of them, and we may have seen the last of Carr this season.

If that’s the case, New Orleans will have to make a decision of whether to give Rattler or Haener more starting opportunities to close the year. Rattler has been deemed the investment piece so far but has ceded his responsibilities to Haener twice in three starts. Regardless, it does seem that Carr’s injury makes the outlook for the remainder of the Saints’ season a bit grim.

Saints HC Dennis Allen Addresses Losing Streak, Week 8 QB Change

October 28th, 2024 at 1:18pm CST by Adam La Rose

After a 2-0 start, the Saints have seen their season take a nosedive. The team is now on a six-game losing streak, and as such head coach Dennis Allen‘s job security remains a talking point.

Allen entered the league as one of the coaches to watch with respect to being on the hot seat. An unexpectedly strong showing on offense in particular eased concerns on that front early on, but struggles on both sides of the ball have continued in recent games. Sunday’s 26-8 loss did not prompt a new round of direct questions related to Allen’s job status, but he was asked about speaking with the front office as the team attempts to end the skid.

“We have conversations every day, you know what I mean? So I don’t feel any more sense of, having to have these conversations,” Allen said (via Pro Football Talk’s Myles Simmons). “Look, I think we all understand that it’s a results-oriented business. And we need to play better football.”

New Orleans ranks near the bottom of the league in a number of defensive categories, and the team sits 28th in both passing and rushing yards allowed per game. The Saints had a top-10 finish in scoring defense during each of Allen’s first two years as head coach, and the former longtime defensive coordinator was expected to maintain that level of success in 2024. Instead, a multitude of issues have emerged while scoring has also become a problem.

Of course, injuries suffered by quarterback Derek Carr and receivers Chris Olave (who returned in Week 8) and Rashid Shaheed (who will miss the rest of the season) have hindered New Orleans’ offense recently. A quarterback change – from Spencer Rattler to Jake Haener – took place during the third quarter of yesterday’s loss, but the move did not yield an uptick in production. Allen noted he attempted to generate a spark by installing Haener, who was not told of any swap being considered until he was tapped to join the game (h/t Jeff Nowak of Inside Black & Gold) .

The switch from Pete Carmichael to Klint Kubiak raised expectations on offense for the Saints, who sit 16th in scoring. A return to the lineup on Carr’s part – which could happen in Week 9 – would certainly help the team’s chances of ending the losing streak. Doing so would also boost Allen’s chances of retaining his role as his New Orleans record now sits at 18-24.

Saints QB Jake Haener Diagnosed With Skin Cancer

August 2nd, 2024 at 2:50pm CST by Ely Allen

AUGUST 2: Haener will undergo his procedure this coming Monday, as noted by Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football. He and the team expect him to be available for Wednesday’s practice, a sign of confidence the 25-year-old will be able to recover without issue. If all goes according to plan, the cancer diagnosis will not prove to be a burden in terms of long-term health or short-term training camp availability.

JULY 26: Saints backup quarterback Jake Haener has had a slow start to his NFL career. A fourth-round pick last year out of Fresno State, Haener was forced to miss time his rookie year due to a suspension. Now, as his sophomore campaign opens up, Haener may be forced to reckon with missed time yet again. According to Katherine Terrell of ESPN, Haener has been diagnosed with skin cancer.

Haener chose not to disclose exactly what type of cancer he was diagnosed with but noted that it is rare to see at his age and is not life-threatening at the moment. He made the announcement while sporting a bandage on his face, where he had noticed an “odd-looking bump” that continued to grow. After having the bump biopsied the week before training camp, it was discovered to be cancerous.

The next step includes a consultation next week to determine what comes in the next several days. “I have to get a different procedure done on my face,” Haener explained. “So we’re just trying to take the necessary steps in order to see how long I can wait until I have to get that procedure done.”

He explained that there is a bit of concern in waiting too long to take care of the necessary procedures. Delaying the procedures could allow time for the cancer to spread to areas where it could potentially be more harmful. It’s unclear for now whether the necessary procedure will force Haener to miss any time, but it’s a positive sign that Haener has been a full participant in all of New Orleans’ training camp sessions thus far.

At the moment, Haener’s attendance at camp is crucial. He is currently battling rookie fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler for the backup quarterback job behind Derek Carr. Both quarterbacks have been rotating between snaps on the second- and third-team offenses while veteran Nathan Peterman lurks just in the background.

Haener becomes the second Saints player to receive a diagnosis of some type of cancer in as many years. Tight end Foster Moreau announced just over a year ago that his cancer was in full remission after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in March of 2023. Here’s hoping for a similar successful battle for Haener.

Jake Haener, Spencer Rattler To Compete For Saints’ Backup QB Role

July 6th, 2024 at 9:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

Derek Carr will be expected to improve on his debut Saints campaign under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak in 2024. New Orleans does not have Jameis Winston in place anymore, though, so the question of who will serve as his backup remains unanswered.

Winston – who has spoken about his desire to regain a starting opportunity in the NFL – took a deal with the Browns this offseason which has him on track to back up Deshaun Watson. New Orleans still has Swiss Army knife Taysom Hill in the fold, but the team has used the past two drafts to add true signal-callers. Jake Haener (fourth round, 2023) and Spencer Rattler (fifth round, 2024) are set to to compete for the QB2 role this summer.

Both quarterbacks rotated between the second- and third-team offense this spring, as noted by ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. She adds, though, that Haener received the majority of backup reps, leaving Rattler in place for the third-string role as things stand. Head coach Dennis Allen confirmed (via Terrell) the pecking order will be decided during training camp.

Haener did not see the field during his rookie season, one which began with a six-game PED suspension. The Fresno State product remains under team control for three more years via his rookie contract, giving him plenty of time to develop into at least a consistent backup option. He noted the change to Kubiak and a new scheme has allowed him to take a step forward compared to 2023, although that progress will be tested during padded practices in the summer.

Rattler’s college career began with a stellar redshirt freshman season at Oklahoma, but his downturn in play (and the arrival of Caleb Williams) the following year led to a transfer. The 23-year-old’s South Carolina performances did not put him back on the Day 1 draft radar, and he witnessed a massive gap between the sixth quarterback (Bo Nix, No. 12 overall) being selected and his addition by the Saints at No. 150. Still, Rattler’s upside could help him ascend to the role of Carr’s understudy as early as his rookie campaign.

New Orleans also has veteran Nathan Peterman in the fold, although Terrell notes he is a practice squad candidate given the term on Haener and Rattler’s respective deals. The latter two do not have a path to a starting role in 2024, but Carr’s contract contains a potential out in March 2025. His performance will therefore be a key storyline come the fall; before that point, it will be interesting to see who claims the backup gig.

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