On Monday, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that the Kansas City Chiefs are signing former New Orleans Saints quarterback Jake Haener to the offseason roster.
Haener appeared to confirm the report via social media.
The NFL’s official transactions report on Monday confirmed that the team is adding Haener on a reserve/future contract. The pact will become official when the league year begins March 11.
Haener started his college career at Washington, where he started four games in 2018. He then transferred to Fresno State and started 33 games from 2020 through 2022. At Fresno State, Haener played with Chiefs wide receiver Nikko Remigio and reserve tight end Tre Watson.
Ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft, Haener was named the Senior Bowl MVP. Although the Saints drafted him in the fourth round with the 127th overall selection, Haener’s NFL career began with a six-game suspension after testing positive for a banned substance. Haener did not play in his rookie season after being activated from suspension.
In 2024, Haener appeared in eight games as the Saints managed quarterback Derek Carr’s injury-plagued final season. He came in during a “Monday Night Football” contest against the Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium after Carr was knocked from the game with an oblique injury. For his career, Haener has completed 18 passes for 226 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
With the Saints’ new coaching staff choosing to build around 2025 second round selection Tyler Shough at quarterback this season, Haener was waived at the final roster cutdown. He spent the 2025 season on New Orleans’ practice squad.
The Chiefs will manage this offseason not knowing when star quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be available after suffering a torn ACL and LCL in December. With Mahomes likely out until training camp in even the best-case scenario, expect the Chiefs to make multiple moves in the quarterback room. Before adding Haener, longtime practice squad passer Chris Oladokun was the only healthy quarterback on the 2026 roster.
Haener’s presence does not change expectations that Kansas City will seek a veteran backup to run the offseason program. Even with his signing, the Chiefs may add to the room in the later rounds of April’s draft or by aggressively signing one of top remaining arms in undrafted free agency.
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