The New Orleans Saints are 41 days away from their first game of the season versus the Arizona Cardinals. With the countdown reaching 41 days from the big day, you may have assumed you'd see Alvin Kamara in this spot. Kamara may in an exclusive club with Dirk Nowitzki as one of the only players to make No. 41 look good, but today's spot goes to Spencer Rattler.
Rattler tossed the ball downfield to Foster Moreau in his first start of his career against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was one of the quarterbacks first passes of his career, and it has remained the longest completion of his career.
Ironically, the reception is also the longest of Moreau's time with the Saints. The duo share that honor together for the time being. This will change if Rattler is able to defeat Tyler Shough to be the Saints starting quarterback in 2025. The pair could even connect for a longer reception in the future.
Spencer Rattler's ability to respond to adversity will define the early part of his Saints career
Rattler's completion to Moreau set up a touchdown that gave the Saints the lead after being down 17 points. The Buccaneers rallied back in the second half, but in that moment, Rattler showed the ability to respond to adversity. It's a trait he'll have to keep at the forefront if he wants to succeed.
With just one season under his belt, Rattler has seen his fair share of battles he's had to overcome. There have been mental battles and literal battles.
There was a period of time where Spencer Rattler seemed like a certain first round pick. He ended up remaining on the board until the 150th pick. The adversity of seeing your stock drop dramatically tests your mental fortitude. He battled back and earned the right to start once Derek Carr went down due to injury.
Now that Carr has retired, Rattler has to respond to the Saints drafting a quarterback in the second round. The odds have been stacked against him before, but Rattler has to show the ability to continue defeating them.