The Oakland Raiders have committed to quarterback Derek Carr for the 2019 season despite rumors that they would draft another young signal-caller. Although the road to this point may not have been easy, he has solidified himself as the captain of his team.
Of course, injuries and other unforeseen circumstances mean that even the best quarterbacks need a backup. Last year, the Raiders added a backup in former Buffalo Bills quarterback Nathan Peterman.
Peterman joined the Raiders practice squad in December of 2018 but has yet to see any time on the field. Despite that, the young quarterback is gaining the favor of head coach Jon Gruden, via Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal:
“This Nate Peterman is growing on me. He’s athletic. I know he’s had some nightmare performances in the NFL, but when you watch the film, you can see why, it’s not his fault. But he’s got some talent. He’s got athleticism. He has some experience. He was an Opening Day starter for the Buffalo Bills last year. I take that very serious. He’s smart. He’s done a good job. He’s been consistent, and I think he’s starting to get his confidence back. We all need that.”
While confidence may help the two-year veteran, there is no denying that Peterman has had some “nightmare” games. In one particular game, Peterman threw five interceptions on 14 attempts and had one fumble in a single half against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Despite that, Peterman had a strong college career. After a slow start at Tennessee in 2013 and 2014, Peterman found a home at Pittsburgh. There he put up a combined 5,142 yards in two seasons and led the ACC in yards per attempt in his senior year.
Since then, however, Peterman has found little success in the NFL. Through his eight career games, he has thrown three touchdowns and 12 interceptions with a 52.3% completion rate.
The athleticism Gruden has been talking about showed itself last year. Peterman rushed 10 times for 50 yards and one touchdown.
It would be surprising to see Peterman get much playing time outside of the preseason. Carr and teammate Antonio Brown have clicked and will likely make a great combo. Additionally, the Raiders signed veteran backup quarterback Mike Glennon earlier this offseason.
Although Gruden may be confident in Peterman and he will get plenty of reps during Training Camp and the preseason to prove he is an NFL quarterback, it is more likely that he winds up being the team’s third-stringer or back on the practice squad.
