After earning the first win of his NFL career, Spencer Rattler has quieted many of his critics, continuing what’s shaping up to be an impressive early-season stretch for the young quarterback. His performance against the Giants was another step forward — displaying rhythm as a passer, command within the offense, and finally connecting on a deep ball for a big touchdown. The confidence in Rattler is clearly growing — not just among Saints fans, but across the league.
With that said, where does Rattler rank among quarterbacks around the NFL?
Reading through several major media outlets’ quarterback rankings this week, Spencer Rattler received a modest bump from most — now landing within the top 25 quarterbacks in the league.
Ben Arthur of FOX Sports moved Rattler up four spots to No. 23 in his latest rankings, while USA Today’s Jack McKessy placed him even higher at No. 18. McKessy highlighted Rattler’s standout performance against the Giants, writing, “Rattler diced up the Giants’ secondary in Week 5 to earn his first career win. He took zero sacks against New York’s mighty pass-rush attack – thanks in part to his quick, 2.46-second time to throw, per PFF – and played mistake-free football to put up a season-high 225 yards with a touchdown.”
Rattler’s ability to evade pressure and deliver the ball quickly has clearly elevated his game from just a year ago, showcasing growth in both poise and decision-making.
Meanwhile, Steven Ruiz of The Ringer kept Rattler steady at No. 24 despite the win over New York — a fair assessment given his consistency through the first five weeks. In comparison to his peers, Rattler is beginning to close the gap on several quarterbacks drafted multiple rounds ahead of him, proving that he belongs in the same conversation.
But there’s a contrarian here. While he acknowledged that “Rattler finally logged his first career win against the Giants, unleashing a nice bomb to Rashid Shaheed along the way. He’s been a true hit-or-miss placeholder for New Orleans, though he’s still thrown just one pick so far,” CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin bumped Rattler down two spots, putting him at No. 31 among the top 32 quarterbacks. Here’s how Rattler stacks up against his classmates from the 2024 draft:
- Drake Maye: 10, 5, 11, 11 (average: 9)
- Jayden Daniels: 12, 14, 12, 9 (average: 12)
- Caleb Williams: 17, 13, 19, 18 (average: 17)
- Bo Nix: 16, 22, 26, 15 (average: 20)
- Michael Penix Jr.: 25, 15, 30, 19 (average: 22)
- Spencer Rattler: 23, 18, 24, 31 (average: 24)
- J.J. McCarthy: N/A due to injury, 33 (average: N/A)
Rattler is right there with first-round picks Bo Nix and Micahel Penix Jr. among his peers — an encouraging sign given the expectations coming into his second season. What makes the next stretch especially intriguing is that he’ll have the chance to go head-to-head with two of them in consecutive weeks: first hosting Drake Maye and the Patriots, then visiting Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears.
If Rattler can come out on top in those matchups, it would almost certainly elevate his stock and further solidify his place among this year’s impressive rookie quarterback class.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Week 6 QB power rankings: Spencer Rattler reaches the top 25
