Sportsnaut
The New Orleans Saints have one of the most interesting quarterback rooms in the NFL right now. While second-round rookie Tyler Shough appears to have the early leg up on winning the starting quarterback job in head coach Kellen Moore’s first season, two others have been in New Orleans for a longer duration.
Those two competitors are 2024 fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler and 2023 fourth-round pick Jake Haener. Yet, now one of them has been forced to take an unfortunate step back.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Haener is expected to be sidelined for the rest of the offseason due to a new oblique strain. Haener’s official recovery timeline will sideline him for a “couple of weeks.”
Haener was actually injured after practice finished, when he was taking time out of his day to throw a few extra passes. He felt some pain, which led to an MRI revealing a strain. However, the fact that he didn’t tear the oblique is a good sign.
Unfortunately, Haener will still miss out on some valuable reps in what’s expected to be a three-man quarterback competition for the starting role in New Orleans.
Haener appeared in eight games for the Saints last year, and he made one start. Yet, he completed just 18 of 39 passes for 226 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The Saints are hoping for better production as he enters his third season of play.
Related: 2025 NFL QB Rankings: Who’s No. 1 after the NFL Draft?
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