With Derek Carr expected to miss Week 15 due to injury, young quarterback Jake Haener is expected to start his first game.
The New Orleans Saints have found themselves in a pickle like so many franchises after their franchise quarterback retires. Jameis Winston, Derek Carr, and Andy Dalton have all thrown their hats into the ring, but all have struggled.
Carr might have been the best, getting the team into the Super Bowl conversation earlier this year, if only for a moment. Then came Carr’s first injury. While some gave the former Raiders quarterback sympathy, Michael Thomas unleashed on him in the middle of the year.
Now, with Carr out once again, the Saints are turning to a young player to start in his first game.
Jake Haener set for starting debut
Per Saints reporter Nick Underhill, Jake Haener will play in Week 15 against the Washington Commanders. This will be his first start in the NFL, so fans could be met with a Buffalo Bills-like Nathan Peterman-like seven interception performance. Or, he could end up with an impressive debut that wins the game.
Jake Haener background
The Saints backup quarterback has seen some action already this season, but has yet to work as the planned starter for a game. So far this season, he has thrown for one touchdown and zero interceptions, completing 48.3% of his throws, per Pro Football Reference.
Haener was drafted in 2023 in the fourth round, so he has been working with the team for some time in the lead up to this moment.
The Saints Week 15 starter played in college for four seasons. In 2018, he played for the Washington Huskies but eventually made his way to the Fresno State Bulldogs in 2020. He missed the 2019 season. With the Bulldogs, he threw for 68 touchdowns and 18 interceptions, completing 68.2% of his throws. His completion percentage also grew from 2020 through his final season in 2022, starting at 64.7% and climbing to 72.0%, showing steady improvement.
Overall, the prospect had promise. Fans will see if that will translate to the field this weekend.a
