The Kansas City Chiefs made their first move at quarterback of the 2026 offseason, bringing in former New Orleans Saints backup Jake Haener. Adding Haener is needed depth, but he is hardly going to excite Kansas City fans, considering who might start if Patrick Mahomes misses time to begin the season.
Mahomes is coming off an ACL tear and needs the franchise to protect him moving into next season. One way or another, adding depth at the position was necessary, and Haener is just the first of many dominoes likely to fall in the coming weeks and months. This helps explain the Haener signing, even if it likely only offers short-term security for the quarterback.
Looking at Haener's career, it is easy to conclude that this is an underwhelming addition. The signal caller projects more as a camp arm and a preseason audition option for the third quarterback role. The signing isn't meant to provide long-term security, but simply a byproduct of the Chiefs' wanting to get a jumpstart on adding to the position.
A roster cut ahead of the 2026 season is very much on the table based on how little the quarterback has proven and the need for stability. Backup Gardner Minshew is set to hit free agency, leaving third-string quarterback Chris Oladokun as the only quarterback on the roster, other than Mahomes, before the addition of Haener. Conventional wisdom would suggest this duo will compete for the emergency QB role, not the actual backup title, which will be saved for a more accomplished and proven option behind Mahomes.
KC Offers Little Long-Term Security Based on Haener's Underwhelming Accomplishments
Haener has totaled 226 career passing yards, one touchdown, and one interception while completing just 46.1 percent of his attempts. This points to the lack of experience and the continued need for Kansas City to remain active, looking for potential backups behind Mahomes.
The Chiefs need to spend on a high-end backup option, allowing Mahomes to continue rehabbing in the first weeks of the season. While the quarterback will do whatever he can to be ready for Week 1, the Chiefs need to prepare as if that won't be the case. Whether it is looking at trade options, free agency, or in the draft, signing Haener in no way ends what should be a collective sense of urgency to find a better answer.
For Haener, this is an opportunity to step in and win a role with a legendary franchise behind the league's best quarterback. It is far from a guaranteed roster spot, but it is a chance to put his career back on track and hunt a ring as the Chiefs look to return to form ahead of the 2026 season. Still, there will be a fight ahead for the signal caller to earn his spot and show he's capable of being an emergency option.