The Rattlers were founded in 1992 as an expansion team in the Arena Football League and were the third oldest active franchise in the AFL until their departure in 2016.

It is believed that the Rattlers are the longest-tenured, continuously-active indoor/arena team in the game's history being active for over 30 years (not counting the COVID-19 pandemic season cancelation in 2020).

In 1987, it was speculated that the Phoenix, Arizona, area would be a target for the newly formed Arena Football League (AFL).

[3] In October 1991, the team announced that former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Danny White would be the franchise's first head coach.

[5] In 1992, the Rattlers began with their first two games on the road, and won their home debut in front of a sell-out crowd of 15,505 at America West Arena by a score of 56–31 over the Sacramento Attack.

[7] In 1997, the Rattlers won their second championship defeating the Iowa Barnstormers, led by future Super Bowl champion QB Kurt Warner, 55-33.

In August 2009, numerous media outlets began reporting that the AFL was folding permanently and would file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

[11][12] In 2014, the Rattlers went 15–3 in the regular season after a 14-game winning streak to start the season, and defeated the Cleveland Gladiators in ArenaBowl XXVII by a score of 72–32, becoming the first team in AFL history to win three consecutive AFL championships since the Detroit Drive of 1988–1990, as well as establishing the largest margin of victory (40 points) in an ArenaBowl.

In 2016, the Rattlers went 13–3 in the regular season, then blew out the Portland Steel and the Cleveland Gladiators en route to their fifth ArenaBowl appearance in six years, only to lose to the Philadelphia Soul.

On October 17, 2016, the Rattlers announced they had left the AFL and joined the Indoor Football League (IFL) for the 2017 season.

The Rattlers lost (56-53) to the Sioux Falls Storm in the 2019 United Bowl, with coach Guy heavily blaming officiating.

They qualified for the 2021 United Bowl, advancing past their rivals, the Sioux Falls Storm & Duke City Gladiators.

They wound up losing to their in state rivals, and the eventual league champion Northern Arizona Wranglers.

Five consecutive seasons without winning a championship resulted in heavy scrutiny of both Head coach Kevin Guy & his quarterback Drew Powell.

In doing so, he filled the void at QB by acquiring local valley talent & current IFL Championship MVP Dalton Sneed from the defending 2023 champion Bay Area Panthers.

A tightly contested first round matchup against the two seeded Vegas Knight Hawks resulted in a come from behind (39-38) road victory on the very last play of the game.

The Rattlers advanced & hosted the 2024 Western Conference Championship, thanks to the San Diego Strike Force upsetting the top seeded Bay Area Panthers the week before.

Arizona took full advantage, blowing out the visiting Strike Force (58-23) and securing the Western Conference crown.

With the win, the Rattlers qualified for the 2024 IFL National Championship Game (known formerly as the United Bowl) at Lee's Family Forum in Henderson, Nevada.

Following their historic win, the Rattlers avenged their previous United Bowl defeat to Massachusetts and secured their 7th team championship as the 2024 IFL Champions.

"Downtown Phoenix continues to grow and the Rattlers will be an integral part of the affordable, family-fun entertainment that the Suns and the Mercury are providing the local community," Shurts added.

The Partnership became a major success for Cox7 the Arizona Rattlers later extended their contract with Cox7 through the 2014 season when the announcement was made in November 2012.

However, the Rattlers still carried over the same broadcast team from Cox7 Arizona with Kevin Ray, Dale Hellestrae and Chris Harris calling the game.

In 2021, Rattler home games began airing on KPHE-TV LATV 44 in Phoenix with Floyd Simmons and Sherdrick Bonner on play-by-play and Joe Pequeno as sideline reporter.