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.

Wednesday, May 14, 3:40 PM

Detroit Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker missed nearly his entire rookie campaign in 2023 while recovering from a torn ACL, and he appeared in just three games last year. Overall, he completed three of his six passing attempts for 62 yards. The former third-round pick out of Tennessee is competing with Kyle Allen for the backup job behind Jared Goff this offseason, and quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell said Hooker is "off to a good start." The 27-year-old hasn't been able to take command of the backup role, which isn't a promising sign, but he remains an intriguing deep-league superflex stash in the event of a Goff injury. Hooker tallied 2,079 yards and 25 touchdowns in 49 collegiate games and would have a fantastic supporting cast to work with if he is ever called into action.