Saints' Spencer Rattler Moves Up To No. 2 QB After 'Listening To His Feet'

METAIRIE, La. - In the movie, "Major League," power hitter Pedro Cerraro often talked to his bat and even staged a voodoo ritual with the lumber to help him against the feared curveball.

New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler doesn't talk to the football before he throws it, but he does "listen to his feet." On Wednesday, he wore that credo on his baseball cap in the locker room - "Listen To Your Feet."

And this is a one-way conversation, because he does not talk to his feet. And so far, no reporters have collected any foot quotes.

But whatever it is, it worked for Rattler on Wednesday.

Once a projected first round pick out of Oklahoma and then South Carolina who fell to the fifth round last April for New Orleans, Rattler looked the best he has as a Saint on Wednesday at a mini-camp practice, following some interception-filled play during OTAs (organized team activities) last month. And Rattler worked with the No. 2 offense ahead of Jake Haener, a fourth round pick last year out Washington who was seen as the No. 2 quarterback behind Derek Carr with Jameis Winston not being retained.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler had a disappointing season at South Carolina in 2023 and fell in the NFL Draft to the fifth round. (Getty Images) 

"It's fast," Rattler said of his first taste of the NFL. "Getting the timing down with the plays, and listening to your feet. I think that's the biggest thing."

Come again?

"You see the hat right here," he said.

New Saints' quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko, formerly Chicago's quarterbacks coach (2022-23) and Minnesota's (2021), has been hammering that message home.

"It's a key phrase in the quarterback room. ‘Listen to your feet,’" Rattler said. "If it's not there, make something happen, or find a check-down."

Spencer Rattler Is In The Land Of Voodoo

So, what do your feet tell you? And you are in New Orleans, so is this voodoo? And your last name is a breed of a snake.

"That's just a base quarterback phrase," Rattler said. "If you're hitching up (stepping up) too much. Or if it doesn't feel right, use your legs, go create, find your check-down."

Even if he didn't understand Janocko's terminology at first, Rattler is listening to everyone coaching him after his fall from grace. He had an average season in 2023, finishing No. 7 in the Southeastern Conference and No. 33 in the nation in passing efficiency at 147.7 (275 of 399, 3,186 yards, 19 TDs, 8 INTs) as the Gamecocks finished 5-7. He was worse in 2022, finishing No. 9 in the SEC and No. 53 nationally in efficiency at 138.7 with 12 interceptions against 18 TDs.

At Oklahoma in 2020 and '21, he looked more like a first rounder, going 15-2 as a starter, including 6-0 in 2021. But then a freshman named Caleb Williams replaced him and brought the Sooners back from a 35-17 deficit to Texas for a 55-48 win. And the rest is history. Williams transferred to USC and won the Heisman Trophy in 2022 and was the first player taken in the 2024 NFL Draft by Chicago. Rattler became the 150th pick in the fifth round.

"The fact that he fell all the way to us to the fifth round, we were really excited about that," Saints coach Dennis Allen said. "From where we had him graded on our board, we felt like he was probably more of a second- or third-round talent."

Why Did Spencer Rattler Drop?

So, why the fall? NFL Network writer Ian Rapoport thought it had to do with Rattler's appearances on the reality series in 2018 called "QB1 Beyond The Lights," which covered his suspension from Pinnacle High School in Phoenix for a violation of conduct.

ANALYSIS: Adam Shefter Beats Ian Rapoport On Sean Payton Hire

Adam Schefter of ESPN had a more believable take. It had more to do with 2024 being The Year of the Quarterback and a half dozen signal callers coming off better 2022 and ‘23 seasons, for the most part, than Rattler. After Williams, LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels went as the second pick to Washington after winning the Heisman in 2023. Then Drake Maye of North Carolina went to New England as the third pick. Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. went to Atlanta with the eighth pick, Michigan's J.J. McCarthy went to Minnesota as the 10th pick, and Denver took Oregon's Bo Nix with the 12th pick. 

Rattler was next, the next quarterback that is - 137 picks later.

"His two best options closed up," said Schefter, who he said were Atlanta and Denver. "That had as much to do with it as anything else."

Rattler looked rusty, to say the least, with the Saints until Wednesday.

"Still getting the offense down," he said. "But I feel very comfortable. They're so big on footwork and timing, and listening to your feet"

So, we've heard.

New Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak has been alternating Rattler and Haener with the second team behind Carr.

"You'll see a few different lineup changes along the way," Allen said. "That's part of the evaluation process."

So is listening to your feet.

In the end, Allen and staff may let the feet do the talking.