When National Football League teams prepare for a new season, roster adjustments are common. The New Orleans Saints made a notable move before the start of the 2025 season by releasing quarterback Jake Haener. Haener, who started in Week 15 last season against the Washington Commanders, completed four passes out of ten attempts for 49 yards and threw one interception during that game. At halftime, he was replaced by Spender Rattler. The Saints narrowly lost that matchup 20 to 19.
This week, the organization informed Haener of his release but indicated their intention to bring him back to the practice squad if he cleared waivers. After clearing waivers, Haener rejoined the team as part of its practice squad. Additionally, quarterback Hunter Dekkers was also added to the practice squad this week.
These moves come after a series of changes in the Saints’ quarterback lineup over the last year. Following Derek Carr’s retirement, the team selected Tyler Shough in the second round of the NFL Draft—the highest quarterback pick for the franchise since Archie Manning. Despite being drafted as a rookie, Shough is older than some quarterbacks already on the roster.
Alongside recent cuts, it was announced that Shough would not be starting at quarterback this season; instead, Spender Rattler will take on that role after seeing action in several games last year despite not earning a win as a rookie starter.
A section within coverage highlighted Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinees from Louisiana—including Marshall Faulk (New Orleans), Ed Reed (Saint Rose), Peyton Manning (New Orleans), Terry Bradshaw (Shreveport), Alan Faneca (New Orleans), Charlie Joiner (Many), John Henry Johnson (Waterproof), Aeneas Williams (New Orleans), Fred Dean (Acadia), Willie Davis (Lisbon), Jackie Smith (Kentwood), and Jim Taylor (Baton Rouge). These athletes have all been enshrined in various classes over past decades.
