The New Orleans Saints were impressed with what they saw from Spencer Rattler in the rookie quarterback’s first taste of NFL action.
On Saturday, Rattler orchestrated a seamless 12-play, 56-yard drive in the final two minutes of the Saints’ preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals , completing six of his first eight passes on the drive to position his team in field goal position. Charlie Smyth sailed a 37-yard field goal through the uprights with five seconds left on the clock, capping off a 16-14 win for New Orleans.
“We had zero issues with operation, operations went super smooth,” Rattler told reporters after the game. “We could have had better execution here and there, that is what first games are for to work those kinks out. First live game, I was happy to go in there and play ball, put my foot on the gas and come out with a win.”
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Rattler displayed poise in the pocket and quick decision making throughout Saturday’s contest, finishing the night 9-of-17 (53%) for 70 yards through the air. “I thought he executed with poise,” Saints coach Dennis Allen said of the young signal-caller. “I thought he made some plays, I thought he was able to create with his feet when things didn’t go exactly how you wanted it to. So I thought he did a good job.”
Midway through the third quarter, Rattler additionally showcased his quickness and mobility, evading a collapsed pocket and lunging towards the pylon on a 4-yard touchdown run. Upon nearing the end zone, the 23-year-old lowered his shoulder into Cardinals cornerback Darren Hall before extending the ball over the line and crashing out of bounds.
Fans online swiftly took to social media to give Rattler his due praise. “Best qb on the roster and it ain’t even close to be frank,” one fan wrote, with another adding: “Not even a saints fan but I know that’s a qb1.”
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Since being drafted by the Saints with the 150th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Rattler has shown flashes of brilliance over the offseason in training camp. The South Carolina-product actively finds himself in a close battle with second-year player Jake Haener for New Orleans’ backup quarterback job behind Dereck Carr.
Haener commanded the Saints offense for the majority of the first half, finishing the game 9-of-13 (69%) for 107 yards. With just over 22 seconds remaining in the second quarter, the 25-year-old stepped up in the pocket and uncorked a beautiful 58-yard pass down the sideline to wide receiver A.T. Perry. The deep connection led to a field goal and gave New Orleans a 6-0 lead heading to the locker room.
Haener’s strong performance is all the more impressive considering he played Saturday’s game with 32 stitches in his right cheek after undergoing skin cancer surgery last week.
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