Jake Haener changes his jersey number ahead of the 2023 season
Here’s something New Orleans Saints fans haven’t seen in a while. Jake Haener, their team’s fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, has worn the No. 14 jersey throughout preseason but that’s something that will no longer continue.
Haener is switching to the No. 3 jersey; he’s the fourth quarterback on the 53-man roster behind Derek Carr, Jameis Winston, and Taysom Hill. Haener’s former jersey number at Fresno State (No. 9) is unavailable with the Saints, so that was not an option, leading him to go with his high school jersey number instead. New Orleans has unofficially retired No. 9 out of respect for legendary former Saints quarterback Drew Brees.
It’s been a long time since a Saints quarterback wore No. 3. Bobby Hebert used it from 1985 to 1992, and he is the only non-special teams player to ever wear the jersey number for New Orleans, making Haener just the second to so. Former Saints kicker Will Lutz, who now rejoins Sean Payton with the Denver Broncos, was the most recent Saints player to wear No. 3. Soon Haener will make it his own.
