Friday puts the New Orleans Saints just two days from their 2026 regular season opener, a Sunday trip to face the Detroit Lions on Sept. 13. With that in view, the latest Saints Player of the Day spot lands on quarterback Spencer Rattler, who wears No. 2 and is entering his third season in New Orleans.
Rattler is 25, a Phoenix, Ariz., native who came out of Pinnacle High School as a five-star recruit before heading to Oklahoma. Listed at 6-foot and 211 pounds, he was a national name from the start and eventually became a big part of the Sooners’ offense. After seeing limited action as a true freshman in 2019, he won the starting job in 2020 and delivered a big year: a Big 12-leading 67.5% completion rate, 3,031 passing yards and 28 touchdowns while helping Oklahoma go 9-2 and earning 1st Team All-Big 12 honors.
His time at Oklahoma didn’t end the way it started. Rattler entered 2021 as a Heisman Trophy favorite, but inconsistent play led to him being benched for Caleb Williams.
He transferred to South Carolina after that season and finished his college career there, starting for two years and leading the Gamecocks to a 13-12 record. Over those two seasons, he threw for 6,212 yards with 37 touchdowns, 20 interceptions and a 67.5% completion percentage.
His college line closed at 68.5% completions, 10,807 passing yards, 77 touchdowns and 32 interceptions.
The Saints took him in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft with the 150th overall pick after six quarterbacks had already gone in Round 1. The plan was for him to sit and develop behind Derek Carr, but that didn’t last long.
Carr’s Week 5 injury pushed Rattler into action, and he made his first career start in Week 6 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He flashed at times in a blowout loss, then started the next two games before getting benched for Jake Haener against the Chargers.
Carr returned, only to go down again five games later with a season-ending injury.
Once Carr was lost for the year a second time, New Orleans turned to Haener against Washington, but that lasted just a half before Rattler came back in and, by the numbers, had his best game of the season. The momentum didn’t stick.
Rattler started the final three games, though he was really only solid in the season-ending rematch with Tampa Bay. The Saints lost all seven of his appearances, scoring just 13.3 points per game along the way.
Rattler finished that year with a 57% completion rate, 1,317 passing yards, 4 touchdowns, 5 interceptions and 22 sacks.
In 2025, new head coach Kellen Moore and a completely revamped staff gave Rattler another chance to win the job, this time against second-round rookie Tyler Shough. The battle was close, but Rattler got the first crack as the starter.
He held that role for eight games before the Saints switched to Shough for the final nine. With Rattler under center, New Orleans averaged 15.1 points per game, while he put up 198.3 passing yards per outing and only 6.2 yards per attempt.
This offseason, Rattler beat out Zach Wilson for the backup job in 2026. Even so, neither quarterback did much to suggest real confidence if they’re needed behind Shough. Still, with his familiarity in the system, Rattler looks like the likeliest No. 2 on the depth chart this season.
In Other News...
Saints Now Have One More Lions Opener Wrinkle To Prepare For
The Lions added another layer to their opener plans by promoting wide receiver and return man Tom Kennedy to the active 53-man roster ahead of their 2026 matchup with the Saints. Kennedy is expected to handle punt and kick return duties, giving Detroit a more defined answer in the third phase of the game as it gets ready for Sunday.
For New Orleans, it is one more detail to sort through before the first real snap of the season, especially in a game where field position can matter early. Detroit also added defensive back Natrone Brooks to its practice squad, a smaller move on paper, but the Kennedy promotion is the one the Saints will be watching closest as they finalize their own opener prep. [Read more 🡒]
Kendre Miller Just Cleared One Saints Concern But Another Is Growing
Kendre Miller no longer appears on the Saints injury report heading into the season opener, which is an encouraging development after he missed practice last week because of an injury. For a player trying to carve out a real role early in the year, simply getting through the final stretch of preparation without an issue matters, especially with New Orleans looking to sort out its backfield rotation from the start.
The larger question now is how much room Miller will actually have once Alvin Kamara is back in the mix. Kamaras return could cap Millers workload, even though there is still a path for him to contribute if he brings the kind of explosiveness the Saints want to see. The expectation is that Miller could see a modest number of carries each game, but his impact may depend on whether he can make the most of those chances. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Need Chase Young To Deliver In A Brutal Week 1 Test
Cameron Jordans absence from the Saints regular-season opener is a significant blow before New Orleans even gets to the first Sunday of the year. Jordan, long one of the most dependable players on the defense, will sit out against Detroit after a hamstring injury in training camp, leaving the Saints to reshuffle their pass-rush plans for a matchup that already looked demanding.
Chase Young is now in line for a much bigger load, and the timing could hardly be tougher. The Lions bring a difficult offense led by Jared Goff, so New Orleans will need pressure up front to keep the game under control and prevent Detroit from settling in. For the Saints, this is the kind of Week 1 test that can quickly show whether Young is ready to carry more of the burden. [Read more 🡒]