The New Orleans Saints have four quarterbacks competing for the starting job this offseason after Derek Carr announced his retirement earlier this month. Now, one of those quarterbacks is set to miss the rest of OTAs, and possibly beyond, with an injury.
Jake Haener suffered an oblique strain during practice on Wednesday and will miss a couple of weeks, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported. Haener underwent an MRI to reveal the strain, and he will not undergo surgery. He is expected to be back in time for training camp, which begins in late July.
This definitely puts Haener at a disadvantage in terms of competing for the starting quarterback job this offseason. He's been the team's third-string quarterback since he was drafted in the fourth round in 2023. Haener started one game for the Saints last season and threw his first touchdown of his career. He played in eight total games in '24 and threw for 226 yards.
The Saints' likely option for the starting role is Spencer Rattler, the second-year quarterback who stepped up last season when Carr was injured. The other two options include two rookies—Tyler Shough, who was drafted No. 40 overall, and Hunter Dekkers, who was signed as an undrafted rookie last week.
Coach Kellen Moore has said that each quarterback is getting a chance to compete for the starting job, so we'll have to wait and see who ends up as QB1.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Saints QB Competing for Starting Job to Miss Time With Injury.