Spencer Rattler is turning heads in his first NFL preseason with the New Orleans Saints and leaving an impression on head coach Dennis Allen.
Selected in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft , Rattler is battling with 2023 fourth-round pick Jake Haener for the right to back up Derek Carr . The Saints need a backup quarterback after James Winston left for the Cleveland Browns in March.
The Saints only selected two primary quarterbacks in the draft in the Drew Brees era from 2006 to 2020. Since Brees retired, the franchise has drafted three including Ian Book in 2021, so this is relatively unmapped territory for the NFC South franchise.
Carr is entering the second year of his stint with the Saints having signed a four-year deal worth $150 million last offseason. He threw for 3,878 yards and 25 touchdowns with a 68.4-percent completion percentage and eight interceptions as New Orleans went 9-8, missing out on both the NFC South division crown and a wild card spot via tiebreaker.
While he is unlikely to unseat Carr, Rattler is impressing . After a turbulent start to his offseason practices and was picked off several times during OTA practices, head coach Allen is adamant the rookie is on the right path.
“Part of it, out here during this time, and even during training camp, is figuring out what you can do and what you can't do," Allen said during OTAs. “And if I never really take a chance, then I never really know what you can or can't do in our league. And I think you find out here that the windows close a little faster than they do in college.”
But on his preseason bow , Rattler generated some buzz. He threw for 70 yards on 9-of-17 passing, but the quarterback flashed his dual-threat ability to rush for a touchdown before leading a game-winning drive against the Arizona Cardinals ; Rattler needed 12 plays to drive 56 yards before Charlie Smyth kicked the winning field goal to make the score 16-14.
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“I thought he executed with great poise,” Allen told reporters following the game. “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.”
Rattler expressed confidence in his performance: “We had zero issues with operation, operations went super smooth. 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.”
Perhaps the Saints have a genuine asset in Rattler. He is hoping to beat out Haener as the backup, but the five-star recruit coming out of high school may have his sights firmly set on Carr’s role going forward.
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