Analysis

Haener failed to impress during any of his significant opportunities this season. The second-year quarterback came in for mop-up duty during back-to-back blowouts in Week 1 and Week 2, and he stepped in when QB1 Derek Carr suffered an oblique injury Week 5. But, the Saints started rookie Spencer Rattler when Carr missed the following three games. Haener didn't get his first chance to start until the Week 15 loss to the Commanders, in which he was benched after completing four of 10 passes for 39 yards and an interception in the first half. Haener never saw the field again for the rest of the season, as New Orleans started Rattler for the final three games. In two seasons, Haener has thrown just one touchdown and has passed for over 100 yards once. The Saints don't appear to have a surefire long-term plan at quarterback after back-to-back underwhelming seasons with the 33-year-old Carr. Given Haener's apparent lack of growth and production, it's unlikely he'll be anything more than a QB2, or possibly even QB3, for the Saints moving forward.

Analysis

Haener was making his first career start in place of injured signal-caller Derek Carr, who suffered a concussion and hand fracture during last week's win over the Giants. However, the second-year quarterback struggled against the Commanders' middling defense and tossed an interception during the first half. This led New Orleans to bench Haener for rookie Spencer Rattler coming out of halftime. The Saints went on four scoring drives in the second half and came up just short on a last-second two-point conversion attempt that would have won the game. Rattler went 10-for-21 for 135 yards and a touchdown during the second half. Given each quarterback's performance Sunday, it's likely that Rattler get the start ahead of Haener for next week's contest against the Packers on Monday, Dec. 23.

Analysis

Rizzi hinted at the outcome a day earlier, choosing Haener over Spencer Rattler while Derek Carr recovers from a concussion and hand fracture. The Saints hope to get Carr back within the next few weeks, but it won't be surprising if Haener ends up making multiple starts in an injury-riddled offense that's currently without WR Chris Olave (concussion), WR Rashid Shaheed (knee) and TE Taysom Hill (knee).

Analysis

With Derek Carr destined for at least one absence due to a fracture in his left, non-throwing hand and also a concussion, Haener and Spencer Rattler are the candidates to fill in for the veteran signal-caller. A 2023 fourth-round pick, Haener is in line to get the nod over Rattler this weekend for what will be his first career start. In seven overall appearances as a pro, Haener has completed 14 of 29 passes for 177 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions and notched 10 carries for 15 yards.

Analysis

Haener is arguably the favorite at this point, having taken over in Sunday's 14-11 win over the Giants after Carr suffered a hand fracture and a concussion. The Saints don't plan to put Carr on injured reserve and aren't yet willing to rule him out for Week 15, but he'll face an uphill battle to clear concussion protocol and also prove that he can play with a fractured non-throwing hand. Haener split practice reps Wednesday with Rattler, whose three starts in October saw the Saints outscored by a combined margin of 110-45.

Analysis

Haener took the reins after starting quarterback Derek Carr (hand/head) got injured on a rushing attempt late in the fourth quarter. The second-year backup wound up playing just a handful of snaps, taking a sack and handing the ball off three times before lining up in victory formation on the final play of the game. Carr was removed for a concussion evaluation to go along with a hand injury, and reports following the game indicated that he's feared to have suffered a fractured left hand, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. If that's the case, then Carr availability for the remainder of year would certainly be up in the air, leaving Haener as the likely candidate to step in as the new QB1 since rookie signal-caller Spencer Rattler was ruled a healthy scratch Week 14. The Saints will next play versus the Commanders on Sunday, Dec. 15.

Analysis

The 2023 fourth-round pick out of Fresno State took over for Spencer Rattler midway through the third quarter of Sunday's loss to the Chargers. Haener completed nine of his 17 pass attempts for 122 yards while adding 10 rushing yards on two carries in Week 8, and it now appears that performance was enough for him to secure New Orleans' top backup quarterback role from Rattler moving forward.

Analysis

Haener took over after rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler was benched with the Saints down 16-5 midway through the third quarter. The second-year signal-caller has been the No. 2 quarterback while usual starter Derek Carr (oblique) has been sidelined for the past three weeks, but he's now taken over during the second half of back-to-back losses for New Orleans, completing 12 of 21 passes for 160 yards and one touchdown. Haener hasn't brought much more efficiency than Rattler, and there's no reason to imagine that either will have much success given the current state of New Orleans' offense. However, this may not ultimately matter since Carr is expected to be back for next week's game versus the Panthers on Sunday, Nov. 3.

Analysis

Haener has served as the Saints' top backup all season while Rattler has been inactive as the No. 3 quarterback in each of the team's first five games, but the fifth-round pick out of South Carolina will leapfrog Haener on the depth chart with Carr set to miss at least one start. After Carr was injured in Monday's loss to the Chiefs, Haener directed the offense for the final drive of the night but didn't impress in his limited action, completing two of seven pass attempts for 17 yards and carrying twice for 11 yards. Other than stating that Rattler gives the Saints the best chance to win, Allen declined to provide many specifics regarding why the rookie was chosen to start over Haener, who is only a year older than Rattler and was actually drafted higher (fourth-round choice in 2023).