It’s not just Chris Olaf. The New Orleans Saints wide receiver made a splash during his exit interview when he lobbied for Spencer Rattler to get another chance to compete for the starting job (while also pushing Tyler Shough to win Rookie of the Year votes). But Olaf is not alone. Shaw himself believes Spencer Rattler deserves a chance at a fresh start as well.
The rookie quarterback said the same thing in an interview with Terron Armstead suit podcast. Armstead brought up the topic: “I like Spencer, man. I like Spencer Rattler. I think he’s definitely going to have a chance to start.”
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“Of course. He should,” Shough agreed. “He’s a great guy. He’s a great player and he can spin. He’s very athletic. Like I said, of course, there’s a lot that goes into it. I think, everybody in the league can spin it. Everybody can do it. It’s a situation. It’s about having the right mentality.”
The parts that Schoff and Olaf don’t say directly don’t need to be said out loud, but we’ll spell them out for clarity. Shaugh is a starter for New Orleans. They agreed that Rattler should have a chance to compete for the starting job. That won’t happen with the Saints, so Rattler will just have to keep his head down and be ready when the opportunity arises elsewhere. It’s clear there’s no animosity here. Saints quarterbacks coach Scott Tolzin praised the two young players for handling the change well. Armstead emphasized this point too: “Fit, opportunity, plan, belief.”
These situations will arise sooner or later. In breaking down each team’s needs heading into the offseason, Pro Football Focus NFL analyst Mason Cameron said eight different teams should make quarterback their top priority. That includes teams that have tried with past-prime starters, like the Pittsburgh Steelers (Aaron Rodgers) and Las Vegas Raiders (Geno Smith), as well as teams that haven’t gotten what they want out of the draft yet, like the Arizona Cardinals (Kyler Murray), Cleveland Browns (Shadell Sanders and Dillon Gabriel) or the Miami Dolphins (Tua Tagovailoa). Other teams like the Indianapolis Colts (Daniel Jones), Los Angeles Rams (Matthew Stafford) and New York Jets (Justin Fields) are in different predicaments.
That’s not even getting into the Atlanta Falcons (Michael Penix Jr. and Kirk Cousins) or Minnesota Vikings (JJ McCarthy) situations. Almost a third of the league has questions to answer at the game’s most important position.
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So don’t be surprised if Rattler’s name comes up in trade talks this spring. With only three quarterbacks consistently ranked in the top 50 — Rodgers, who is likely to retire; Jones, returning from an Achilles injury; and Green Bay Packers backup Malik Willis — and only one team able to draft this year’s only pro prospect, Fernando Mendoza (Indiana), Rattler’s services would likely be in demand. Having the 25-year-old join the team midway through his rookie contract would certainly be attractive to some of the teams we just mentioned. Sure, his record (1-13) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (12-10) aren’t exciting. That’s why he lost his job to Shough. But as Shough himself said, Rattler can play in this league. All it takes is the right environment for him to get his next chance.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints QB Tyler Shough thinks Spencer Rattler deserves another try