Arizona Cardinals | |
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Career information | |
College: | Louisiana Tech |
NFL draft: | 2000 / Round: 7 / Pick: 212 |
Career history | |
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* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
Tim Rattay (born March 15, 1977 in Elyria, Ohio) is an American football quarterback who currently plays for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round (212th overall) of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisiana Tech.
NFL career
Tim Rattay entered the league as the seventh-round pick (No. 212 overall) of the San Francisco 49ers in the 2000 NFL Draft. Rattay was a backup to longtime San Francisco quarterback Jeff Garcia. When Garcia was released from the team due to age and salary cap constraints, Rattay was given the starting job. This change contributed to the 49ers struggles in 2006, as they posted the league's worst record. The poor showing prompted the team to draft University of Utah quarterback Alex Smith. On October 18, 2005, Rattay was acquired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for 6th round 2006 NFL Draft pick from the San Francisco 49ers. This trade has been criticised by many, including former NFL quarterback Terry Bradshaw.
Late in the 2006 season, Rattay stepped in as the starting quarterback for the Buccaneers due to the poor play of Bruce Gradkowski. In the week 15 game against the Chicago Bears, he entered the game with Tampa Bay losing 14-3. Due to his strong performance, Tampa Bay tied the game at 31, but they eventually lost in overtime 34-31. This performance led coach Jon Gruden to name Rattay as the team's third starting quarterback in the 2006 season.
On May 9, 2007, Tim signed as a free agent with the Tennessee Titans. The following month Gruden would name Jeff Garcia Rattay's successor as the Buccaneers' starting quarterback. [1] On September 1, 2007 the Titans released him.
On October 9, 2007, Rattay signed a one year contract with the Arizona Cardinals as a backup to Kurt Warner, following a season-ending collarbone injury to starting quarterback Matt Leinart.
To date, in 37 games, including 18 starts, Rattay has completed 429-of-711 passes in his career for 4,848 yards with 28 touchdowns and 23 interceptions for a passer rating of 80.4.
Career Achievements
A career highlight for Rattay was a victory on a Monday Night Football game in 2003 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Another notable achievement was Rattay's San Francisco team record for the most completions in a game, breaking Joe Montana's record of 37.
Rattay is one of two 7th-round or undrafted quarterbacks since 1995 (out of a pool of 30 such players) to pass for more than 400 yards in a game.