The New Orleans Saints have made a few peculiar decisions this offseason in the first year of the Kellen Moore experience. Veteran general manager Mickey Loomis is still the chief decision-maker, but he has not exactly set up the first-year head coach for success in the 2025 NFL season.
While the quarterback situation garnered much of the attention during OTAs, training camp and the preseason, there are several holes throughout the roster that need addressing. Most notably, the offensive line depth could use a bit of bolstering.
That made the leadership tandem's decision to release special teams ace and former All-Pro J.T. Gray puzzling because he filled his role to a T. Who Moore and Loomis replaced Gray with, however, is even more unsettling.
Saints sign Jake Haener to active roster after J.T. Gray release
On Tuesday, the Saints announced a batch of roster moves. This included the expected practice squad additions of linebacker Eku Leota and wide receiver Tommy Mellott, but they also activated quarterback Jake Haener from the practice squad to the active roster.
Haener was the first person eliminated from the Saints' underwhelming quarterback battle this preseason, and for some reason, he is now taking up an active roster spot. The odds of him being poached from the practice squad are low, making this decision even more of a head-scratcher.
With so many needs to sew up before the season opener against the Arizona Cardinals, conventional wisdom would say that the Saints need to sign a player who could be crucial to an early victory. However, they got rid of a star special teamer for a third-string quarterback.
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In eight NFL appearances, Haener has completed just 46.2% of his passes for 226 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He has also run 11 times for just 22 yards and taken six sacks in just 82 offensive plays.
By contrast, Gray has played in 98 games over the last seven seasons and contributed 103 tackles, most of which have come on special teams. A three-time All-Pro and a 2021 Pro Bowler, Gray would certainly add more immediate value and impact in New Orleans.
Ideally, Haener never sees the field for the Saints, as either Tyler Shough or Spencer Rattler gets the job done in 2025. However, if the team ends up relying on Haener to start at any point this season, it really wouldn't matter what the rest of the roster looks like.