The New Orleans Saints made a surprising pick in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft by picking South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler at No. 150 overall. But there’s one person who wasn’t surprised: Rattler himself.
Rattler told local media in a conference call that he was one of the Saints’ 30 official pre-draft visits, and that he had a great experience in New Orleans. He struck up a rapport with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and went out to dinner with Saints quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko (at Fleming’s, a popular steakhouse and wine bar in Metairie).
But his New Orleans connections run deep. Rattler said he caught Archie Manning’s eye years ago at the Manning Passing Academy, and that the Saints legend still texts him weekly to check in on him. That’s quite a mentor to have in your corner.
So will Rattler turn into a good pro with the Saints? Maybe, maybe not. His first challenge is going to be pushing Kellen Mond and Nathan Peterman off the roster. If he can do that, then he’ll focus on competing with Jake Haener for the backup job behind Derek Carr. We’ll see if Rattler has it in him.
