Rattler has a chance to start for the Saints this season, and he could be worth a late-round flier in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues. Derek Carr announced his retirement in May, and Rattler will compete in training camp for the starting job with rookie Tyler Shough and Jake Haener, unless New Orleans brings in another veteran for competition. Shough will likely start the most games for the Saints under new coach Kellen Moore, but Rattler could still see plenty of action. He appeared in seven games as a rookie in 2024 but completed just 57 percent of his 228 passes for 1,317 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions, along with 146 rushing yards on 18 carries. There's limited upside for Rattler, but if he does get a starting opportunity then he could have some value in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues. The quarterback battle in New Orleans is a situation to monitor in training camp.
Saints' Spencer Rattler: Ho-hum effort in preseason finale
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Rattler started the Saints' 28-19 preseason loss to the Broncos on Saturday afternoon and completed five of eight passes for 43 yards without a touchdown or interception while rushing once for no gain.
Rattler led the Saints' first three possessions before giving way to Tyler Shough, who was in the game until the fourth quarter. Rattler had noteworthy connections with Chris Olave of 12 and 10 yards, as well as a nine-yard completion to Rashid Shaheed, but Shough ultimately put up a more impressive showing. Rattler finished the preseason having gone 30-for-43 for 295 yards with a touchdown and an interception while adding seven rushes for 41 yards, and it remains to be seen if he did enough in the eyes of head coach Kellen Moore to earn the right to earn the Week 1 start against the Cardinals.
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Saints' Spencer Rattler: Starting preseason finale
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Rattler will start Saturday's preseason finale against the Broncos, Matthew Paras of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
Head coach Kellen Moore said Tuesday that he hasn't decided who will start Week 1 under center for New Orleans, calling the competition between Rattler and rookie Tyler Shough "really, really close," per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Moore also confirmed Thursday that the decision to start Rattler on Saturday isn't informative of the team's plans for the regular season, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. Still, if Rattler can again outplay Shough, as he did during Sunday's 17-17 preseason tie against Jacksonville, it would be a strong argument in favor of him beginning the regular season under center.
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Saints' Spencer Rattler: No decision on QB1
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Head coach Kellen Moore said Tuesday that he has not made a decision on who the starting quarterback for the Saints will be in Week 1 against the Cardinals, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Rattler served as the QB2 for the Saints' 17-17 preseason tie against the Jaguars on Sunday, completing 18 of 24 passes for 199 yards, one touchdown and one interception while rushing for 19 yards on two carries and adding a two-point conversion. He played better than rookie Tyler Shough on Sunday, but Moore relayed that the competition between the two young quarterbacks is "really, really close." Saturday's preseason finale against the Broncos will be Rattler's last opportunity to state his case for the starting job.
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Saints' Spencer Rattler: Outplays starter Shough on Sunday
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Rattler completed 18 of 24 passes for 199 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Sunday's 17-17 preseason tie against the Jaguars. He also rushed three times for 19 yards and ran in a two-point conversion.
After starting the Saints' preseason opener against the Chargers, Rattler waited until the second half to check in Sunday. Tyler Shough got the start but threw for only 66 yards in the first half and failed to lead a touchdown drive as the Saints trailed 17-3 at halftime. Rattler set the team up for a pair of third-quarter field goals, then bounced back from a fourth-quarter interception by throwing a 20-yard touchdown pass to Dante Pettis and running in the subsequent two-point conversion himself to tie the game with 21 seconds left. The pair of young quarterbacks will continue their competition Saturday in the preseason finale against the Broncos.
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Saints' Spencer Rattler: Gets first-team reps at scrimmage
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Rattler took most of the first-team snaps during Sunday's scrimmage, Ross Jackson of LouisianaSports.net reports.
Rattler reportedly played five of seven drives with the starters, compared to two for Tyler Shough and none for Jake Haener. All have gotten first-team reps this summer, but Rattler more so than the others, arguably making him the favorite to start Week 1. Preseason games also will factor into the decision, although Saints coach Kellen Moore hasn't revealed how he'll divide the QB snaps.
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Saints' Spencer Rattler: Opens camp with starters
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Rattler got most of the first-team reps Wednesday on the first day of training camp, but rookie Tyler Shough is scheduled to work with the starters Thursday, WWLAM's Jeff Nowak reports.
In other words, the Saints will treat their QB job battle as a 50-50 competition, although Shough likely has the tiebreaker given his earlier draft status (second round) and Rattler's poor numbers last season. Taken in the fifth round last spring, Rattler ended up making six starts (all losses) and completing 57.0 percent of passes for 5.8 yards per attempt, with four touchdowns and five interceptions. He played better Week 18 at Tampa Bay, but Shough nonetheless seems like at least a slight favorite for the Week 1 start under a new coaching staff.
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Saints' Spencer Rattler: Could battle for QB1 role
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As a result of Derek Carr (shoulder) announcing his retirement from the NFL on Saturday, Rattler could battle with rookie Tyler Shough for the Saints' starting quarterback role to begin the 2025 campaign.
Carr's retirement leaves New Orleans with a QB room consisting of Rattler, Shough and Jake Haener. In terms of game experience, Rattler is the most experienced of the trio -- he got into seven games as a rookie last year but largely struggled, completing just 57 percent of his 228 pass attempts for 1,317 yards and a 4:5 TD:INT while adding 146 yards on the ground on 18 carries. However, Shough -- who is a rookie but is exactly one year older than Rattler -- may be the favorite for the QB1 role heading into training camp after the Saints took him in the second round of April's NFL Draft. As it currently stands, both QBs should have an opportunity to make a case for the Week 1 starting role throughout camp and preseason play, though there's an outside chance New Orleans could bring in a more seasoned QB via free agency or trade.
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Saints' Spencer Rattler: Solid numbers in finale
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Rattler completed 26 of 42 passes for 240 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions and rushed once for 11 yards in the Saints' 27-19 loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday.
The rookie quarterback got one final opportunity to gain experience and build his case for the future since Derek Carr (hand) remained sidelined, and Rattler made good use of the season-ending start. The South Carolina product was able to generate his second-highest yardage total of the season through the air and avoided an interception for the first time in his three consecutive season-ending starts. Rattler's solid performances over the last two games were particularly noteworthy considering the extremely shorthanded nature of New Orleans' offense, and it remains to be seen where he'll slot in on the organizational depth chart heading into training camp next summer.
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Saints' Spencer Rattler: Preparing for another start
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Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi said Tuesday that Rattler will continue to take reps with the first team in practice and will be in line to start Sunday against the Raiders if Derek Carr (hand) is unable to play, Ross Jackson of WWL Louisiana reports.
Though the left hand fracture that Carr sustained in a Week 14 win over the Giants had been viewed as something that would likely end his season, the veteran quarterback isn't closing the door on returning to the field for either of the Saints' final two games. That said, Rizzi didn't provide any indication that Carr would be ready to practice when the Saints begin Week 17 prep Wednesday, so Rattler still looks to be headed for a second straight start and his fifth of the season. The Saints have gone 0-4 in Rattler's prior four starts, with the rookie signal-caller completing 74 of 129 pass attempts (57.4 percent) for 724 yards (5.6 YPA), one touchdown and three interceptions in those contests. He's also lost three fumbles and has taken 17 sacks in those contests.
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Saints' Spencer Rattler: Pedestrian numbers in loss
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Rattler completed 15 of 30 passes for 153 yards with no touchdowns and one interception and added five rushes for 28 yards in the Saints' 34-0 loss to the Packers on Monday night. He also lost a fumble.
Rattler unsurprisingly struggled in the frigid temperatures of Lambeau Field, but he hung tough while taking three sacks overall. He did give up the ball on one of those takedowns and did so in Packers territory, but the miscue didn't lead to any points for Green Bay. Rattler's other turnover on the night, a late third-quarter interception, likewise was followed by a Packers punt, but it had more opportunity cost associated with it considering it came at the Packers' two-yard line. While Rattler couldn't lead New Orleans to any points, there's seemingly no incentive for interim head coach Darren Rizzi to short-circuit the rookie fifth-round pick's valuable opportunity for reps over the final two games -- especially with a favorable home matchup against the Raiders coming up Week 17 -- even if Derek Carr (hand) is deemed ready to play.
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Saints' Spencer Rattler: Could draw Week 16 start
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Saints head coach Darren Rizzi announced Thursday that Rattler will start versus the Packers on Monday if Derek Carr (hand) is unavailable, Ross Jackson of WWL Louisiana reports.
Rattler logged a solid showing after replacing Jake Haener under center during New Orleans' loss to Washington in Week 15, completing 10 of 21 passes for 135 yards and one touchdown, including a near last-second comeback. At this stage, Carr's Week 16 status is iffy, with Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football relaying that Rizzi indicated that the veteran QB would probably have to get in a practice by Saturday in order to play Monday.
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Saints' Spencer Rattler: Likely to take over as starter
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Rattler is expected to start Monday's game against the Packers with Derek Carr (hand/concussion) likely to miss the rest of the season, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.
Coming out of the Saints' Week 14 win over the Giants, Carr entered the concussion protocol and was also diagnosed with two fractures in his non-throwing hand. The latter injury is viewed as the greater concern and prevented him from playing in this past Sunday's 20-19 loss to the Commanders. Jake Haener drew the start for that contest but completed four of 10 pass attempts for 49 yards and an interception while taking three sacks before being benched at halftime in favor of Rattler. The rookie out of South Carolina nearly led the Saints to a comeback from a 17-0 deficit, completing 10 of 21 passes for 135 yards, including a one-yard touchdown to Foster Moreau as time expired. Rattler's potential game-winning pass to Juwan Johnson on the two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, but he likely showed enough to get the starting nod over Haener in Week 16. Rattler previously made three starts in place of an injured Carr in Weeks 6 through 8, going 0-3 in those contests while completing 59.6 percent of his passes for 5.8 yards per attempt, one touchdown and two interceptions to go with 61 yards on nine carries.
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Saints' Spencer Rattler: In mix for Week 15 start
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Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi said Wednesday that he'll likely wait until Friday to choose between Rattler, Jake Haener and Derek Carr (head/hand) as the starting quarterback for Sunday's game at Green Bay, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Rattler was the emergency No. 3 quarterback for Sunday's 14-11 win over the Giants, while Haener replaced Carr after the 33-year-old suffered a concussion and a left hand fracture. The combination of injuries makes Carr a longshot to play Week 15, but the Saints aren't ready to rule him out yet and reportedly don't plan to place him on injured reserve. Rattler and Haener shared practice reps Wednesday, suggesting it's not a lock that Haener starts if Carr is inactive. Rattler made three starts in October while Carr recovered from an oblique injury, completing 59.6 percent of passes for 5.8 yards per attempt with one touchdown, four turnovers and 14 sacks as the Saints lost each game by at least 18 points. It would make sense to give Haener a shot now, but it's possible Rattler builds a case for himself in practice this week.
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Saints' Spencer Rattler: Emergency QB for Week 14
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Rattler (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Giants.
Rattler will serve as the Saints' emergency quarterback for Week 14 behind starter Derek Carr and backup Jake Haener. Rattler will only see the field Sunday if both Carr and Haener were to leave the game due to injury.
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Saints' Spencer Rattler: Available as emergency QB
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Rattler (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Rams.
The 2024 fifth-round pick will serve as the emergency QB for the third straight game. Starter Derek Carr and backup Jake Haener would have to be injured and/or unavailable for Rattler to see action.
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Saints' Spencer Rattler: Healthy scratch Sunday
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Rattler (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game in Carolina.
After starting three contests in place of Derek Carr (oblique), Rattler will relinquish control of the offense to the former, while Jake Haener will serve as the backup quarterback. Rattler will only see action Week 9 if both Carr and Haener leave the contest due to injury.
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Saints' Spencer Rattler: Will start Week 8 if Carr can't go
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Saints head coach Dennis Allen said Monday that Rattler (hip) will start Sunday's game against the Chargers if Derek Carr (oblique) remains sidelined, Ross Jackson of WWL Louisiana reports.
Rattler was forced out of last Thursday's 33-10 loss to the Broncos late in the fourth quarter due to a hip pointer, but it doesn't sound like the injury is a real threat to keep him sidelined Week 8. Despite the rookie fifth-round pick's miserable performance versus Denver in which he logged just 4.9 yards per attempt and lost two fumbles, Rattler seems slated to retain a grip on the No. 1 role until such time as Carr is cleared to retake the field.
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Saints' Spencer Rattler: Impressive in NFL debut
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Rattler completed 22 of 40 passes for 243 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in the Saints' 51-27 loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday. He also rushed four times for 27 yards and fumbled once but recovered.
The rookie fifth-round pick did not look out of his element despite facing a veteran defense with aggressive tendencies. Rattler recorded his first touchdown pass via a 10-yard strike to Bub Means just before the midway point of the second quarter, and he continued battling throughout the game despite the game eventually getting away from New Orleans. Reports earlier Sunday indicated Derek Carr (oblique) could be down for up to four games, so Rattler projects for another start Thursday night at home against the Broncos.
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Saints' Spencer Rattler: Could start for injured Carr
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Rattler is viewed as a "strong candidate" to start Sunday against the Buccaneers with Derek Carr (oblique) expected to miss multiple games, Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network report.
A rookie fifth-round pick out of South Carolina, Rattler has yet to make his NFL debut, and he's been inactive as the Saints' No. 3 quarterback behind Carr and Jake Haener through the team's first five games. Though it was Haener who entered in relief of Carr during Monday's 26-13 loss to Kansas City, the Saints may be inclined to turn the offense over to Rattler, who possesses strong arm talent but at times played recklessly during his five-year collegiate career. During his three preseason appearances, Rattler completed 20 of 38 pass attempts (52.6 percent) for 202 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions while rushing seven times for 26 yards and one touchdown as well as a lost fumble.
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Saints' Spencer Rattler: Serving as No. 3 QB
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Rattler (coach's decision) is inactive ahead of Monday night's matchup against the Chiefs.
Rattler will serve as the Saints' emergency third quarterback for the fifth consecutive game Monday night. The 2024 fifth-round pick will be able to take the field only if both Derek Carr and Jake Haener sustain injuries.
