Spencer Rattler and Juwan Johnson have formed a strong connection that’s been evident early in the season. Their chemistry and trust through two games has been notable. They both could be in-line for career seasons if it continues this way.
Johnson was a former wide receiver before switching to a tight end in 2021. Due to this, he’s a dangerous receiving threat. He proved this by leading the team with 548 receiving yards in 2024. He’s easily on pace to surpass that this year.
So far Johnson has tallied 13 receptions for 125 yards and one touchdown. He’s been Rattler’s go to target, especially while under duress. Johnson is a key piece to the young quarterback's success. Having a reliable tight end is crucial for an inexperienced quarterback. Johnson is a pivotal reason why Rattler’s had a good start to the season.
Despite drops, Spencer Rattler’s confidence in Juwan Johnson never wavered
Although the connection has been great, it hasn’t been perfect. Johnson has had issues with drops; he is already up to three this year. The most notable missed opportunity came on a potential game-tying touchdown at the end of the Cardinals matchup. Despite this, Rattler’s trust is still as high as ever.
This was exemplified in the Saints loss against the 49ers. Johnson started the game off by dropping two easy catches. However, that didn’t stop Rattler from consistently targeting him the rest of the game. He ended the day with five catches for 49 yards and a beautiful touchdown catch.
The Rattler-Johnson connection started in 2024
The connection between Rattler and Johnson started during the 2024 season. They really started to connect during weeks 17 and 18. Johnson racked up 12 receptions for 146 yards in these final two games. This gave them plenty of momentum going into the offseason that has carried into 2025.
Those were his best two games but Johnson excelled when Rattler was under center. In the seven games Rattler played, Johnson caught 25 passes (50% of his total) for 299 yards (54.6%).
The connection between Rattler and Johnson has been prominent to start the season. It can be traced back to 2024 and is only expected to grow as the year goes on. It’s still not perfect, but it could help produce a career year for each of them.