All eyes are glued to the New Orleans Saints quarterback battle this offseason. With Derek Carr removed from the equation due to an abrupt retirement, all of that attention has transferred to the younger players at the position.
Kellen Moore is passing off the battle as a triple threat between Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener. Unfortunately for Haener, he's ran into a roadblock in the race. On Wednesday, Haener suffered an oblique strain, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Schefter reports the expectation is the quarterback "likely will miss the remainder of OTAs, but is expected to be ready for the start of training camp."
Tyler Shough vs. Spencer Rattler vs. Jake Haener
This is a huge setback for Haener. Though Moore positioned the battle as a three-man race, it's always felt like it was Shough versus Rattler. It's the franchise's highest drafted quarterback in over half a century versus the young quarterback with the most starts on the roster. Haener was on the outside looking in until Moore mentioned his name.
Essentially, Haener was looking to fight his way into serious conversation, and you can't do that on the sidelines due to injury. The longer Haener stays our with this oblique strain, the more time Shough and Rattler have to stand out. That's less time divided with the first team offense. If it wasn't a clear separation before, it could be after
Haener's injury impacts Hunter Dekkers too
The quarterback room was divided into two sections in my mind. Shough and Rattler competing to start, and undrafted free agent Hunter Dekkers attempting to push Haener for the third and final quarterback roster spot.
While Haener's injury pushes him down in starting conversation, it has the opposite effect for Dekkers' mission. If Dekkers can continue to make a statement in organized team activities, Haener will have a new contender to watch for.
Haener may be the most experienced quarterback on the roster, but that isn't saying much. He could just as easily be pushed off the roster, whether through adding a veteran or Dekkers showcases more potential.