Jake Haener Opens Up About His Rare Skin Cancer Diagnosis

New Orleans quarterback disclosed his condition on Day 3 of Saints Training Camp.

Jake Haener / New Orleans Saints

New Orleans Saints second-year quarterback Jake Haener revealed that he has been diagnosed with a "rare form of skin cancer" during his media session on Day 3 of Saints Training Camp.

"I actually have a rare form of skin cancer," Haener responded to a reporter's question about a round bandage near his right cheek. "So for my age, it's kind of rare that that it pops up like that. So I'm trying to get that evaluated with our training staff. I have a consultation with doctors August 1st on our off day to try to figure out how long I can wait because I have to get a different procedure done on my face. So we're just kind of trying to take the necessary steps, in order to see how long I could wait till, you know, I have to get that procedure done."

According to Haener, the first signs of the cancer occurred before the start of training camp. "It's kind of something that just popped up, and I was kind of worried about it. My family was kind of worried about it. It was just this random, odd-looking bump that kept growing. For me, it was something that I don't see a lot of. I don't have a lot of acne like that, and it popped up and we knew to go to dermatologists. They removed it. They did a biopsy on it and came back last week right before camp that it was just kind of a rare form of skin cancer for my age, like I said."

He chose not to reveal the specific type of cancer, opting to wait and consult with the medical team.

Heaner is competing for the backup position during this training camp. His first three days have been solid.

New Orleans selected Haener out of Fresno State as the 127th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.