This was expected: the New Orleans Saints reinstated rookie quarterback Jake Haener on Monday after he served his six-game suspension to open the season, waiving backup passer Jake Luton in a corresponding roster move.
Luton’s departure opened a spot on the 53-man roster for Haener, who will retake his place in the lineup behind Derek Carr, Jameis Winston, and Taysom Hill. The Saints traded their fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft (to the Jacksonville Jaguars, this week’s opponent, ironically) so they could move up to the 2023 draft’s fourth round and pick Haener. He’s a young player the team values highly.
Still, don’t expect to see much from Haener this season. This is Carr’s offense — frustrating to watch as it’s been — and he’ll continue to run the show with Winston waiting in the wings and Hill wearing a variety of hats at different position groups. Haener needs to focus on watching, learning, and preparing for his chance to compete for the QB2 job next summer.
