The New York Jets could use another passer in the QB room.
Frankie Vitz of uSTADIUM threw out a trade pitch on social media:
“The Jets should trade the Saints a 7th-round pick for Spencer Rattler. Cheap contract, low-risk, and he’s under control through 2027. He’s also got some game, and at that price, he’s worth it as a a backup/spot-starter ….. he’d challenge that room too,” Vitz explained on X.
Rattler, 25, will turn 26 during the 2026 season. He entered the league as the No. 150 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft.
He played five years of college football between Oklahoma and South Carolina. Rattler appeared in 48 games. With those opportunities, he completed 68.5% of his passes, threw for 10,807 passing yards, and had a 77 touchdown to 32 interception ratio.
This Would Be a Fun Move for the Team to Explore
A lot of what Vitz argues is true.
Rattler is young (25), and he’s under cheap control through the 2027 season. According to Spotrac, Rattler is owed a $1.07 million base salary in 2026 and a $1.19 million base salary in 2027.
The talented passer had varying levels of success in college, but it has been a mixed bag at the NFL level.
Rattler has appeared in 16 games and has made 14 starts. With those opportunities, Rattler has completed 62.7% of his passes, has thrown for 2,903 passing yards, and has a 12 touchdown to 10 interception ratio.
Jets on SI reporter Nick Faria told me on “Boy Green Daily” that he doesn’t anticipate the Jets adding a QB before training camp begins. Of course, anything can change, but he believes the team will let the current roster compete.
Geno Smith is the starter, but he is currently embroiled in some alleged legal trouble. The rest of the depth chart carries questions with rookie Cade Klubnik, Brady Cook, and Bailey Zappe.
This could be the same exact situation from last year. The Jets appeared comfortable with the kickers they had on the roster heading into training camp. It became painfully obvious days into camp that they needed an upgrade. The Jets quickly responded by adding veteran placekicker Nick Folk.
Could history be repeating itself?
Perhaps the Jets enter with their current QB room in camp. They immediately find out that they need another arm and go seek one. That is totally on the table.
Insider Mentions It as a Possibility
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic wrote a recent column where he evaluated all of the top free agent and trade QB options on the market.
One of the possibilities he discussed was Rattler.
“New Orleans has Tyler Shough and signed old friend Zach Wilson this offseason. New Orleans won’t release Rattler, and it’s unclear how much they’d want in a trade, but he’s an ideal option as a young back with starting experience (14 starts in two years) and room to grow,” Rosenblatt said.
It would be a fun exploration for the Jets. If Smith gets hurt or is somehow compromised, it would at least be interesting to see what a Rattler can do in this offense.
It’s unclear if a seventh-round pick would get it done, but it’s something the Jets should strongly consider in their building, even if it costs more than that.
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