New Orleans Saints Spencer Rattler Struggles In First OTA, But Concerns Shouldn’t Get Out Of Hand

The New Orleans Saints have drawn a lot of attention with rookie passer Spencer Rattler, but the pause button was hit on the hype after the team’s first OTA practice. Though his long-term outlook is unlikely to be impacted by a single day.

May 11, 2024; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler (18) runs passing drills during the rookie minicamp at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

After an impressive rookie minicamp, the hype was growing for the New Orleans Saints’ newest signal caller. Rookie Spencer Rattler completed 11 of his 12 passes and looked very comfortable getting in and out of the huddle. Unfortunately, the NFL is not a linear experience. 

That much was evidenced come the first day of organized team activities (OTAs). In a day where second-year passer Jake Haener shined, completing 7 of his 8 passing attempts including three big plays, Rattler went just 4/8 with an interception, nearly throwing a second. He also had a beautiful pass deep down the left sideline to fellow rookie Bub Means, but the wide receiver’s jersey was held by the defender and the pass fell incomplete.

Now before anyone hits the panic button on Rattler, it is of value to keep in mind that this was the first time he was working in this environment. Veterans were present, he was working with the third-team and of course the demands of install are greater than they were in rookie minicamps. 

Rattler’s unit also had to re-huddle twice after breaking the huddle with low energy and perhaps some confusion coming out of the call. The third team also had a pair of plays blown dead for apparent false starts. 

This all part of it. Re-huddling at this point of the offseason is far from out of the ordinary. Head coach Dennis Allen even commented that the team was forced to do so notably less than is typical for it being this early in the process. 

However, when the same quarterback is in for those missteps, scrutiny is going to be levied. The bottom line though is that this may mean nothing long-term. Remember the 2021 scuttlebutt coming out of Cincinnati Bengals camp wherein fifth-overall pick and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was having trouble reeling in catches? That seems to have worked out just fine. 

The biggest concern that should be tracked as things continue was around compounding miscues. Rattler placed a pass too high for running back Jacob Kibodi. The pass-catching back skied up to try to make the play, tipping the ball up in the air. The ball then fell into the waiting arms of cornerback Faion Hicks who would have had a clear path to the endzone. The immediate next play, Rattler targeted wide receiver Kyle Sheets in the short area, but hung the pass just enough that linebacker Isaiah Stalbird was able to make a play on the pass, knocking away what could have been another interception with pick-6 potential. Both of these passes were in 7-on7’s rather than team drills.

Seeing these two plays back-to-back warrants further evaluation. What is worth watching moving forward is Rattler’s ability to manage adversity. If that proves to be an issue, confidence could begin to dwindle. However until there is proof of consistent struggle, waiting to see if he can bounce back is equally, if not more valuable. 

The expectations around Rattler though are much less than those that were on Chase’s shoulder. For Rattler, a reasonable expectation  should be that he grows and develops into a high-end backup passer. But his upside as a starter is absolutely there. Upside that is unlikely to be diminished by a single outing at OTAs. 

This part of the process is about establishing the foundation players are working with. Then as OTAs continue, observing how they build upon that platform. Rattler won’t be treated any differently.