Who Should I Start? Jake Haener or Hendon Hooker

Thursday, May 22, 9:20 AM

New Orleans Saints quarterback Jake Haener (oblique) reportedly was injured while throwing extra passes after practice on Wednesday. He underwent an MRI which revealed a strain, but luckily Haener avoided an oblique tear. The expectation is that Haener is going to be shut down until the start of training camp. The Saints want to give him time to rest and want to avoid making this a bigger injury than it is. Haener is currently in a three-way competition for the starting quarterback gig with Spencer Rattler and second-round pick Tyler Shough. Honestly, Haener was probably already third on the depth chart, so this injury isn't going to help his chances. However, Haener should get a chance to prove himself in camp.

Friday, July 18, 10:50 AM

It would be "surprising" if Detroit Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker loses the backup job behind Jared Goff to veteran Kyle Allen, according to Colton Pouncy of The Athletic. Detroit drafted Hooker out of Tennessee in the third round back in 2023, and he spent the majority of his rookie season rehabbing from a torn ACL. Hooker was the team's nominal backup for most of 2024, but Detroit signed veteran Teddy Bridgewater to take over the job down the stretch of the season, signaling a lack of comfort with Hooker in the role. Pouncy writes that while Hooker should be considered the favorite entering camp, he "needs to show development." It would take an injury to Goff for either of Detroit's backup quarterback options to be fantasy-relevant.