Chris Olave is as excited as anyone to see where Tyler Shough can take the New Orleans Saints in 2026, but he’s not about to let Spencer Rattler be forgotten. He made sure to lobby for Spencer Rattler’s prospects as a starting quarterback almost in the same breath as making the case for Shough to be named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
“Spencer’s a great quarterback,” Olave told reporters in the locker room on Monday. “I don’t believe he’s a backup quarterback in this league. In this world nowadays, people always want to point the finger at somebody when something’s going wrong. I feel like Spencer’s done a great job when he was back there starting at quarterback. He deserves another opportunity to be a starting quarterback in this league.”
This year’s draft class has characterized as two-deep between Fernando Mendoza (Indiana) and Dante Moore (Oregon), and there aren’t many viable options in free agency, either. So unless a team feels like trading for an expensive reclamation project like Tua Tagovailoa or Kyler Murray, we could see a healthy market develop for Rattler. Quarterback-needy teams like the Indianapolis Colts and Minnesota Vikings will be in the mix this spring and we can’t rule out teams with aging starters like the Los Angeles Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers, either.
Some fans have pointed to the value Rattler brings as a high-end backup on a rookie contract, and there’s some truth to that. But there are just two years left on that deal and his 1-13 record as a starter doesn’t inspire as much confidence in reality as it does on paper. Don’t be shocked if he ends up competing for a starting job on a new team in 2026. Teammates like Olave would say he deserves it.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Chris Olave: Saints QB Spencer Rattler deserves another shot to start
