The New Orleans Saints drafted South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler with their 150th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Rattler has a strong arm, is mobile, and has a ton of experience on multiple collegiate programs.

Rattler being drafted in round five may have surprised a lot of individuals but he has the ability to make plays on Sunday. The Saints are in a situation that does not look very good with their current quarterback Derek Carr. The former second round draft pick in 2014 was once considered the Raiders’ franchise quarterback before signing a four-year contract worth $150 million with the Saints in March 2023.

With the Rattler selection, the clock begins to run out for Carr who has over $50 million in dead cap that is already attached to his 2025 season.

According to Spotrac on social media X, formerly Twitter, Carr being QB1 in New Orleans through the 2025 season is “highly likely” due to the amount of dead cap already attached.

In the meantime, Carr will be the starting quarterback in 2024 and has a prime opportunity to mentor Rattler and get him up to speed with the NFL playbook and nuances.

Perfect Fit? 

In my honest opinion, Rattler heading to New Orleans with a veteran quarterback in Carr is a perfect fit for the young 23-year-old signal-caller. Rattler will mature a great deal with the leadership of Carr and his strong values that he brings to the table. With regards to football, there is no question that Carr is a solid veteran quarterback in the NFL. While his play is sometimes inconsistent, he can sling the football and is exciting to watch when fully healthy.

Rattler’s ability to learn under Carr for two or three seasons before taking over is a common theme among NFL teams over the last several seasons. Just look at what the Green Bay Packers have done with then quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love. Most recently, we watched the Atlanta Falcons take a quarterback in Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall selection and he will sit behind veteran Kirk Cousins and learn the game with his shot coming in several seasons as well.

There are a multitude of quarterbacks currently on the Saints roster. The list includes: Jake Haener, Nathan Peterman, and Kellen Mond. Rattler has better traits and promise then those quarterbacks do and he is the perfect fit for the black and gold as they look into the future.