The Kansas City Chiefs have several needs to address this offseason, including their backup quarterback situation.
The Chiefs will hope that superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be ready to play by the start of next season, coming off a torn left ACL. However, Kansas City must also operate as if Mahomes won’t be ready by Week 1, and needs to have at least one or two backup options at quarterback.
The Chiefs got a head start on their backup plan on Monday, signing former New Orleans Saints signal-caller Jake Haener, per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network. Haener’s contract with New Orleans had expired as he spent the entire 2025 season on the practice squad.
That said, Haener's addition won't move the needle as much as some fans would like, nor does it lessen the Chiefs' need to add more options in the QB room.
Jake Haener Signing Isn't Enough to Solve Chiefs' QB2 Woes
The last time we saw the former fourth-round pick play in a regular-season game was during his rookie season in 2024.
In eight contests with the Saints, Haener completed a mediocre 46.2% of his passes for 226 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. After a rough rookie season, which included a six-game suspension, Haener was cut by the Saints at the end of August in the preseason.
The Saints did not need him on the active roster as they had rookie Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler. However, they still keep him around on the practice squad.
While things didn’t work out in New Orleans, he gets a fresh start with the Chiefs, who only have Chris Oladokun as the other QB under contract outside of Mahomes. Gardner Minshew will be a free agent next month, but who knows if Kansas City brings him back.
Minshew is a career journeyman who didn’t look good in his short time under center before it was cut short by injury. Meanwhile, Oladokun got his chance, too, starting in two games, but he didn’t do much either. The offense was very pedestrian.
At 28 years old, Oladokun might be better off as a QB3 than a QB2. And Haener might not be too far from that, based on his rookie season in New Orleans. Therefore, the Chiefs must go out and see if they can bring in Trey Lance, Zach Wilson, or Kenny Pickett to solidify the QB2 spot.
Pickett might be the better option out of those guys, as he can step in immediately. He would also be an upgrade over Oladokun and Haener by a wide margin. The Chiefs can’t ignore the QB2 issue anymore.
Over the last two years, Kansas City took its shots with Carson Wentz and Minshew as the backup QB. Neither guy did anything special to warrant being back with the club. The Chiefs could be in a similar situation with Haener if they don’t do anything else this offseason.