Jake Haener is ready to lock himself in at the QB2 spot for the Saints

With all that has been going on at the quarterback position for the New Orleans Saints, Jake Haener has become somewhat of a forgotten man. All the talk has been about the pressure that Derek Carr is facing in his second sesson in New Orleans, the Saints getting a steal by selecting Spencer Rattler in the fifth round, and the confusing signing of Nathan Peterman.

Meanwhile, Haener has been at work, hoping to rebound from a rookie season that consisted of him being suspended for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs. Haener is now hoping to put that all behind him as he starts his second season in the NFL.

Year two is reportedly off to a great start. With the Saints recently starting OTAs, reporters have been in attendance for practice. One of the most common takeaways is that Jake Haener has looked good.

Jake Haener is impressing early in Saints OTAs

Running with the second unit, several reporters spoke about how sharp and good Haener looked passing the ball around the field. His ability in the NFL is largely an unknown, but it seems clear that he’s better than the rookie version of himself that showed up last offseason. This could have a lot to do with Haener’s documented work with Jon Gruden over the last year.

While Haener is unlikely to snatch the starting job away from Derek Carr, he will have to hold on to his QB2 spot on the depth chart. Fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler is currently taking the third-team reps for the Saints, but there’s a lot of excitement surrounding him because of how talented he is. As the offseason progresses, Haener and Rattler will likely battle for the backup quarterback job. However, it’s seems like Jake Haener has the clear lead right now.

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