The Saints‘ backup QB fallout is hitting Spencer Rattler hard, with trade noise getting louder each hour as teams actively view players to fill the gaps in their initial 53-man roster.
While Tyler Shough was locked in as the starter, the real competition was for the QB2 spot between Rattler and Zach Wilson. Wilson’s veteran experience gave him the edge coming out of camp, leaving Rattler on shaky ground.
That is what the surface-level buzz tells. Rattler’s tape from August was anything but clean, but his brutal 100-yard pick-six against the Rams and three-straight scoring drives against Dallas gave quarterback-needy teams something to chew on.
Many of them were already picking up the phone by the end of preseason games as multiple teams reportedly reached out for Rattler, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
That only amplified the trade chatter surrounding him.
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The insiders are hearing much more than just the noise. New Orleans writer and insider Nick Underhill believes Rattler might be in another uniform by the time Week 1 rolls around.
The only thing it would take is a trade offer good enough that the Saints can’t say no.
“I think they’d be willing to trade one of them if the right offer is there,” Underhill said on Ari Meirov’s “NFL Spotlight” podcast. “I think they like all three.”
Financially, trading Rattler is virtually painless for the Saints.
An acquiring team absorbs his $1.1 million salary, leaving New Orleans with a pocket-change dead money hit of under $200,000. That gives the Saints nearly $800,000 in instant cap relief.
The only kicker is that his bargain contract works both ways. Rattler costs next to nothing to keep, giving New Orleans all the leverage to hold him as cheap insurance until someone overpays. And looking at the market and looming final 53-roster deadline, a desperate team might just hand that type of money out.
“I know they really like Spencer quite a bit, but if the ROI was there— they spent a fifth on him — and somebody wants to give you more than you spent on him, yeah, I would see them being open to that offer.”
In another tweet, Underhill mentioned how Rattler might have appraised his market stock in just 14 career starts. Saints drafted him as a 5th-round pick, but looking at the hype, teams might just overpay with a higher-round pick.
“Rattler has leveled up. Some team should call about him,” he tweeted.
Why the Saints Might Consider a Trade
Free cap space is, of course, one reason, but more importantly, Keelan Moore already has a more proven quarterback in the No. 2 overall pick, Zach Wilson.
Because they have Wilson’s 33-career start expertise, the Saints can afford to see Rattler as a tradable asset rather than a mandatory safety net.
Rattler’s dirt-cheap rookie deal becomes another card the Saints hold. If a rival front office steps up with real draft capital, Wilson’s presence gives the Saints the luxury to pick up the phone and cash in.
“I would feel much better about the floor in a game with Spencer in there than I would with Wilson,” Underhill said. “But if you’re chasing ceiling, I think Wilson’s the guy over Rattler.”
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