Saints backup quarterback Jake Haener has had a slow start to his NFL career. A fourth-round pick last year out of Fresno State, Haener was forced to miss time his rookie year due to a suspension. Now, as his sophomore campaign opens up, Haener may be forced to reckon with missed time yet again. According to Katherine Terrell of ESPN, Haener has been diagnosed with skin cancer.

Haener chose not to disclose exactly what type of cancer he was diagnosed with but noted that it is rare to see at his age and is not life-threatening at the moment. He made the announcement while sporting a bandage on his face, where he had noticed an “odd-looking bump” that continued to grow. After having the bump biopsied the week before training camp, it was discovered to be cancerous.

The next step includes a consultation next week to determine what comes next. “I have to get a different procedure done on my face,” Haener explained. “So we’re just trying to take the necessary steps in order to see how long I can wait until I have to get that procedure done.”

He explained that there is a bit of concern is waiting too long to take care of the necessary procedures. Delaying the procedure could allow time for the cancer to spread to areas where it could potentially be more harmful. It’s unclear for now whether the necessary procedure will force Haener to miss any time, but it’s a positive sign that Haener has been a full participant in all of New Orleans’ training camp sessions thus far.

At the moment, Haener’s attendance at camp is crucial. He is currently battling rookie fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler for the backup quarterback job behind Derek Carr. Both quarterbacks have been rotating between snaps on the second- and third-team offenses while veteran Nathan Peterman lurks in the background.

Haener becomes the second Saints player to receive a diagnosis of some type of cancer in as many years. Tight end Foster Moreau announced just over a year ago that his cancer was in full remission after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in March of 2023. Here’s hoping for a similar successful battle for Haener.