Saints Cut UDFA Iowa St QB to Make Room for Rookie Punter

Hunter Dekkers’ tenure with the New Orleans Saints is over.

The New Orleans Saints announced Thursday they were cutting the former Iowa State quarterback while signing free agent punter Kai Kroeger.

Dekkers signed with the Saints as a free agent in May shortly after Derek Carr announced his retirement from the NFL.

Why Did The Saints Cut Hunter Dekkers?

Dekkers was almost certainly brought in as a camp arm. The Saints have a pretty-competitive three-person quarterback controversy they are working out between second-round pick Tyler Shough and incumbents Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener.

One of Haener or Rattler could end up getting released, which could open the door for Dekkers to serve as the emergency third quarterback if New Orleans wanted to keep him around.

Dekkers attended the Saints’ rookie minicamp in April then was offered a contract after Carr’s retirement. But given their draft pick of Shough, and with Rattler and Haener still young and under team control, Dekkers never realistically had a chance to make the Saints barring an injury.

Will Hunter Dekkers Sign With Another Team?

Unlikely, except as a camp arm, though teams are always in the market for quarterbacks to fill that role, especially as injuries and nicks pile up throughout the year.

Dekkers had a prolific college career at Iowa State since he threw for 3,044 and 19 touchdowns during his junior season in Ames.

But Dekkers’ career went sideways after his NCAA eligibility was revoked after it was discovered he placed more than $1,000 on college-football bets as a minor, including $15 on the Cyclones — albeit in a game he did not play.

He transferred to Iowa Western of National Junior College Athletic Association, where he threw for 3,806 yards and 38 touchdowns.

Who Is Kai Kroeger?

Kroeger was the punter at South Carolina for five seasons and was a second-team All-American his senior season. He also was made the All-SEC team in 2022.

Yet, Kroeger is now one of three punters on the Saints’ crowded kickers room. But even though he was undrafted, and was added very late in training camp, Kroeger has a good chance of making the Saints.

Incumbent Matthew Hayball, a second-year punter out of Vanderbilt, had an unspectacular season in his rookie campaign in New Orleans. He ranked sixth in number of punts (75) but averaged 44 yards per punt, which ranked 30th out of 34 qualifying punters.

Hayball did rank first in the NFL in punts downed inside the 20-yard line (41).

Still, with rookie head coach Kellen Moore seeking out competition at all positions, as the Saints try to rebuild a culture where they have missed the playoffs four straight seasons, Kroeger could challenge Hayball and Alabama rookie James Burnip.

Kroeger ranks second in South Carolina history in average per punt (44.6) and is second in conference history in punt yards (11,283). He had 68 career punts of 50-plus yards, and his 100 career punts landing inside the 20-yard line could be important for the Saints, who may rely on defense and field position more so than most other teams.

So Kroeger has a much better opportunity to make the Saints than Dekkers ever did.