Patrick Mahomes will spend the offseason recovering from the torn ACL he suffered on December 14th. If all goes well, he’ll be ready in time for Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season. Either way, there will be some changes coming to the Kansas City Chiefs‘ quarterback room this offseason.
This season’s backup, Gardner Minshew, is scheduled for free agency. The Chiefs’ third-string QB, Chris Oladokun, is set to return, along with Mahomes. Yet, with just two quarterbacks under contract, Kansas City felt they needed to add another to the roster.
On Monday, the Chiefs signed 26-year-old QB Jake Haener. Haener was the 127th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Fresno State.
After losing the New Orleans Saints‘ starting quarterback competition to Spencer Rattler, Haener was released from the team. Though the Saints brought him back to the practice squad, where he remained for the rest of the season.
Haener has appeared in eight NFL games and made one start. He’s completed 18-of-39 passes (46.2%) for 226 yards, 1 TD, and one interception while taking six sacks. Haener also has 11 career rushing attempts for 22 yards.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound quarterback may have some untapped potential, and the Chiefs intend to find out. If nothing else, he adds another camp arm who can gather for workouts when Chiefs receivers want to get some reps in. At this point in the offseason, with rosters expanded to 90 players, it only makes sense to take a chance on young athletes and hope they uncover a hidden gem.
Related: Kansas City Chiefs Pro Bowl QB Actually Didn’t Tear His ACL
