Jan. 12, 2026, 11:20 a.m. CT
Could Jake Haener and Hunter Dekkers join new teams in 2026? Both of the New Orleans Saints quarterbacks are now free to weigh their options from other teams, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, who shared a list of practice squad players who are now free agents. It isn’t a complete list but it also includes former Saints running back Nyheim Hines-Miller. We know that linebacker Nephi Sewell is also in the mix. None of those four players were named in the first wave of reserve/future deals the Saints announced last week, which included CFL standout wide receiver Damien Alford.
Of the two quarterbacks, it feels like Dekkers is likelier to return. The Saints signed him, released him, and brought him back almost a dozen times before shutting him down for the season with a shoulder injury. Haener was an afterthought in the training camp battle between Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough, and he never did get into a game after Shough replaced Rattler in the starting lineup. He was drafted two coaching staffs ago and may look for better opportunities elsewhere around the league. Dekkers was brought in after a rookie tryout last spring and may better fit what Kellen Moore his looking for out of his quarterbacks.
Either way, changes are coming for the quarterbacks room. Shough is the starter, and, for now, Rattler is his backup. A dearth of viable starters in free agency and the 2026 draft class suggests Rattler could draw trade offers. The Saints will need to add at least one arm to the room before training camp (preferably two), so stay tuned.
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