South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler scores TD, leads Saints to win in first NFL action
Arizona, Oklahoma, South Carolina.
Five-star blue-chip recruit. Heisman favorite benched midseason. Despondent transfer turned NFL draft pick.
Spencer Rattler’s path to the pros was anything but a straight line. Both his geographical journey and gridiron trajectory featured jagged detours. But Saturday he returned home to play a football game in Arizona for the first time since 2018 — this time as a New Orleans Saint.
Rattler scored on a four-yard touchdown run in the third quarter of his NFL preseason debut, then led a game-winning drive in the Saints’ 16-14 win over the Cardinals. He was 9 of 17 passing for 70 yards.
The Phoenix native spent two years at USC after three years at Oklahoma. He compiled the best career completion percentage (.675) in Gamecock history. Rattler ranks No. 5 in career completions (523) and ninth in career passing touchdowns (37).
After his fifth-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, Rattler entered a quarterback battle with Jake Haener to back up starter Derek Carr. Rattler and Haener have taken turns throwing with New Orleans’ second and third units during training camp.
Carr started Saturday’s game with Haener coming in next, then Rattler.
“I just try to follow the lead (of Carr), push him,” Rattler told reporters after training camp practice Monday. “He pushes me. And Jake (last name) as well. Just love being out here competing with our guys.”
Saints coach Dennis Allen told team writer John DeShazier this week he sees Rattler improving every day.
But preseason performances like Saturday’s, Allen added, will ultimately help New Orleans make a decision.
“We’re trying to determine if we have a backup quarterback on our roster right now. I’ve seen some signs that I like,” Allen said. “Yet, I want to get them into real live situations, under the lights, and see how both of these guys operate in that environment. I’m encouraged by what I’ve seen out of both Spencer and Jake, and yet, we haven’t made any decisions there. I want to see what they operate like under the lights.”
During the six-week break between veteran minicamp and training camp, Rattler met up with Mike Giovando back in Arizona to clean up some fundamentals and work on “little things we noticed in spring ball and OTAs,” Rattler said.
Those “little things” included footwork and pocket management.
“Little, minute things that can add up to negative plays,” he said.
Rattler likened New Orleans’ offensive system to Dowell Loggains’ at South Carolina. Similar verbiage and motions. But, with it being the NFL, “a level up.”
“We get great looks on every play, and we have answers,” Rattler said. “Once you get it under your belt — I don’t have everything under my belt, but I feel great — you can get rolling.”
This story was originally published August 10, 2024 at 11:09 PM.
