Jake Haener is preparing for his second season with the New Orleans Saints, and his second year in the NFL overall. He hopes that year two is considerably better than year one. As a rookie, Haener made headlines for two reasons: his humorous press photographs and his six-game suspension for breaching the league’s performance-enhancing substance rules. With the suspension behind him, Haener is determined to become a successful NFL quarterback.
To achieve that goal, Haener has turned to an unexpected source for assistance. Nick Underhill said that Haener had spent the last year working with Jon Gruden. Underhill said Haener has been doing everything from training to studying to film sessions with Gruden, and as a result, the young quarterback is ready to start his second season.
Jake Haener has been working with Jon Gruden to prepare for season two.
Gruden and his family have a long history in sports, and he has coached since 1986, notably leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the Super Bowl in 2002. He most recently served as the Raiders’ head coach from 2018 to 2021, before leaving after a league investigation revealed emails from Gruden that contained racist, sexist, and homophobic language. Gruden has since acted as an advisor to the Milano Seamen of the European League of Football, as well as in an unclear consulting role with the Saints.
He also had a successful broadcasting career with ESPN before taking over as Raiders coach. The Jon Gruden’s QB Camp series was a highlight of his media career. Gruden frequently worked with young quarterback prospects, assisting them in their preparation for the NFL both on the field and in the classroom.
Jake Haener appears to have had a more in-depth familiarity with the process. Now, he’ll apply what he’s learned over the last year to a Saints quarterback room in dire need of a reliable backup. With Nathan Peterman and Kellen Mond as the other quarterbacks on the roster besides Derek Carr, Haener might carve out a spot as the backup quarterback to Carr.
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