Oct 26, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler (2) throws downfield during the first quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Spencer Rattler Addresses Saints Benching With Class

Originally posted on New Orleans Saints on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Oct 26, 2025 8:58 PM ET

The New Orleans Saints have a decision to make over the next few days.

Unfortunately, the Saints have to wait until Week 11 to have their bye week. New Orleans just dropped to 1-7 on the season with a difficult loss against the NFC South rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Saints benched Spencer Rattler in favor of Tyler Shough during the contest and now have to decide who will start Week 9 against the Los Angeles Rams.

It would be the perfect time for a bye week, but that's not the reality for the Saints. So, now, they have to decide whether they will stick with Rattler or turn to the rookie for the next two games before their bye week. That's unclear at this time, but Rattler handled the benching as well as you would hope someone would.

"I mean, we came out of the draft and didn't have a great drive," Rattler said as seen in a clip shared by Audacy Sports' Jeff Nowak. "Kept getting backed up, backed up, backed up. Really couldn't catch a rhythm and he said 'Hey, we're going to go with Tyler. Get a little spark. See what happens.' You know, it's part of the game. I understand. You can't control everything, but hey, I'm going to be a great teammate and respond the right way. Be a pro about it and help in any way I can."

Spencer Rattler handled the benching the right way

That's a difficult situation getting benched in a game. Especially the case when it's a highly anticipated rookie who has been waiting for an opportunity. There's no way to know what the Saints will do next, but Rattler handled the situation like a pro.

Even if Shough takes over moving forward, Rattler has shown progress this season as the quarterback of the Saints. The last two weeks have been full of turnovers and that obviously can't happen if a team wants to win games. But, he has shown that he can play in this league regardless of what happens next.

More NFL: Saints' Kellen Moore Explains Spencer Rattler Benching

This article first appeared on New Orleans Saints on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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