Tag: Nathan Peterman

Saints suggested as a good fit for Jets draft bust Zach Wilson

The New Orleans Saints were suggested as a good fit for New York Jets draft bust Zach Wilson. But they shouldn’t trade anything for him:

Where will Zach Wilson play football in 2024? The New York Jets draft bust has been given permission to look for a trade partner, but there haven’t been many takers. With other former first-round quarterbacks changing teams it feels like only a matter of time until Wilson ejects.

It just might be difficult for him to find a parachute first. Throwing 25 interceptions in 33 starts will do a lot to turn off suitors. Despite that, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin argues that the New Orleans Saints could be interested in Wilson’s services, writing:

There isn’t exactly a strong market for a former top-three pick whose erratic quarterbacking resulted in multiple demotions, but at just 24 with dual-threat traits, Wilson could be a low-risk reclamation project for a contender. The return would almost certainly not exceed that which the Bears or Patriots got for Justin Fields and Mac Jones, respectively. But one thing’s for sure: The Jets have had their fill, with the aging but superior Aaron Rodgers once again back in the saddle.

There are some coaches on staff Wilson knows well like John Benton, the former Jets offensive line coach, and Wilson wouldn’t face as much pressure competing with Jake Haener to back up Derek Carr. He’d be more competitive in that role than Nathan Peterman will be.

But is it worth trading anything for him? Probably not. If the vision is for Haener to knock down whatever punching bag the Saints set in front of him, it makes more sense to sign a player like Peterman on a non-guaranteed minimum salary than to invest draft capital in Wilson (even if it’s nothing more than a late-round pick). And there’s the possibility of Wilson being released outright. If that comes to pass, then it’s worth seeing if Wilson is willing to match Peterman’s modest salary.

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Willie Gay has already changed his New Orleans Saints jersey number

Willie Gay has already changed his New Orleans Saints jersey number. He’s going back to the same number he wore in college at Mississippi State:

It only took a week for Willie Gay to go through two different jersey numbers. The New Orleans Saints initially listed their newest linebacker in the same No. 50 he wore with the Kansas City Chiefs — but he’s now slotted into No. 6, which is the jersey number he used in college at Mississippi State. It ties in well with Gay reuniting with so many familiar faces from his college days, like teammates Johnathan Abram and J.T. Gray, as well as his old defensive coordinator Todd Grantham (the current defensive line coach for New Orleans).

The number only became available when the Saints released safety Marcus Maye at the start of the new league year last Wednesday, the same day Gay’s signing was announced. Before the NFL relaxed its rules for jersey numbers in 2021, just seven players had used No. 6 in Saints history, all specialists (most notably punters Thomas Morstead from 2009-2020 and Tommy Barnhardt from 1987-1999).

Now, it’s in high demand. But Gay isn’t the only Saints free agent pickup to have chosen his new jersey number. Backup quarterback Nathan Peterman is using No. 10, which is new for him; he wore No. 14 with the Chicago Bears  last year but opted for a different number in New Orleans. But veteran wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. is using the same No. 11 jersey he wore for the Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys. No word yet on which number defensive end Chase Young is going to wear, though.

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Saints could have traded for Justin Fields, if they had wanted to

The Saints had the draft picks to trade for Justin Fields, and they just hired his quarterbacks coach. It says a lot about their plans that he wasn’t considered:

It says a lot about the New Orleans Saints’ plans at quarterback that they never entered trade talks while the Chicago Bears were trying to find a new home for Justin Fields. The 25-year-old was dealt to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2025 draft; if he’s able to get on the field ahead of Russell Wilson and play well, it can turn into a fourth rounder.

The Saints could have beaten that offer. They own multiple picks in rounds five and six this year which is more lucrative than selections in 2025. They could’ve made a stronger offer than Pittsburgh did, had they chosen to.

And they had an inside scoop on Fields after hiring his quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko. Janocko worked closely with Fields the last two years in Chicago and knew everything there was to know about the young quarterback. If the Saints liked what he had to say, they would’ve made a move. But they didn’t.

Which gets to our point: the Saints weren’t interested. As we’ve been saying, they want to support Derek Carr, not threaten his position on top of the depth chart with someone who might be better. They don’t want to have more ugly moments were fans were booing him off the field and cheering on Jameis Winston as happened last year. That’s why they signed a mediocre backup in Nathan Peterman, whose best-case scenario is getting blitzed by Jake Haener in training camp before hanging on with the practice squad, maybe.

Carr was a tough watch for much of the 2023 season. Still, Saints decision-makers like head coach Dennis Allen and general manager Mickey Loomis are confident he can deliver on the expectations that come with his $150 million contract. To his credit, Carr was much more impressive through the last six weeks when ex-offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael began tailoring the offense to his strengths with more play-action passes and pre-snap movement. Allen hired an entirely new offensive coaching staff this offseason, including Janocko, with the goal of putting Carr in a position to succeed.

Does that mean they were right to pass on Fields? No. Teams should keep adding quarterbacks until they know they have the right one, whether that means rolling the dice in free agency, taking a flyer on another team’s castoff, or drafting one themselves. Carr, who turns 33 in a few weeks, has probably hit his ceiling without ever winning a single playoff game. Allen, Loomis, and the Saints as an organization are determined to find out if he can lead the team to success in spite of that. They’re going with Carr, sink or swim, and that’s why they’re not in on an exciting young quarterback like Fields. It’s why fans shouldn’t expect them to draft another passer coming out of college, either.

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Saints advisor Jon Gruden is a big supporter of backup QB Nathan Peterman

It’s still unclear what role Jon Gruden has with the Saints as an advisor, consultant, or unpaid observer. But he’s a big Nathan Peterman fan:

It’s still unclear what role ex-Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden has with the New Orleans Saints. His connection to the organization has been characterized as, at different times, “an observer rather than any official consultant” per NewOrleans.Football’s Mike Triplett and as a possible “addition to the Saints offensive staff rather than a replacement for offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael” according to Nola.com’s Jeff Duncan.

Obviously Gruden has not joined the staff in any official capacity (yet), but it stands to reason that he’s still around the team. He had dinner with general manager Mickey Loomis and other team brass when the Saints visited the Tampa Bay Buccaneers late last December, and he’s someone they regard highly despite the off-field distractions his presence creates.

What we do know about Gruden is that he’s a big Nathan Peterman fan. Gruden kept Peterman around as a backup quarterback on the Raiders for years, and now Peterman is competing for the same job in New Orleans. Back before the 2017 draft, when Gruden was still working in broadcasting for ESPN, he said of the then-Pitt Panthers quarterback:

“Peterman is ready to walk in and be a contributor from day one. He just looks like a pro quarterback — coming out of the huddle, running an offense with different formations, shifting, motioning, different patterns that other colleges don’t run.

Peterman will recognize route combinations and associate formations. Most importantly, he will be able to get in a huddle from day one and look at 10 grown men and tell them where to go and what to do and handle a versatile snap count.”

Clearly things didn’t work as Gruden anticipated once Peterman got on the field. No quarterback has thrown more interceptions (13) on fewer attempts (160) since he entered the league. Still, Gruden stood by his evaluation and chose to bring Peterman into the fold when he was coaching the Raiders a few years later.

“This Nate Peterman is growing on me,” Gruden told Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review Journal. “He’s athletic. I know he’s got some nightmare performances in the NFL, but when you watch the film you can see why. It’s not all his fault, but he’s got some talent, he’s got some athleticism, he’s got some experience.”

Gruden added: “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.”

Now, just because Gruden likes a quarterback doesn’t mean the player is any good. Just look at the horrible draft picks he and Mike Mayock put together with the Raiders. It became a meme during Gruden’s ESPN tenure on Monday Night Football that he’d claim to have loved every player he could name. From Tom Brady to Alex Smith and Mike Glennon, anyone would get an enthusiastic, “Man, I love this guy.” Peterman has probably gotten the same treatment.

Still, it’s easy to connect the dots here. Gruden has been around the Saints as an organization for most of the last year. He’s a big fan of Peterman as a backup quarterback. And when the Saints needed someone cheap who wouldn’t threaten Derek Carr’s job security, Gruden may have put in a good word for the third-stringer. It would almost be more surprising if he hadn’t.

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Nathan Peterman threw a last-ditch Bears Hail Mary thanks to Tyson Bagent’s iffy arm strength

Tyson Bagent’s arm can’t be THAT weak, can it???

Sunday afternoon was a monumental day for Tyson Bagent and the Chicago Bears. A former Division II quarterback for the Shepherd Rams, the rookie undrafted free agent made his first NFL start in the absence of Justin Fields.

And for the most part, Bagent did his job! He didn’t jump off the page per se, but he got the ball out quickly, threw over 100 yards, and generally didn’t let Maxx Crosby ruin Chicago’s game plan as its ground offense took over the proceedings. With the one-win Bears now fighting for their season basically every week, that’s all they need for the time being — a game manager who doesn’t lose the game. But a late first-half sequence demonstrated why there’s probably a ceiling on Bagent’s NFL future.

As Chicago looked to add to a 14-3 lead on the final play, it subbed Bagent out for Nathan Peterman on a Hail Mary attempt. Why?

Because Bagent’s arm probably isn’t strong enough to launch a ball that deep and that high. But it’s still Nathan Peterman — owner of an atrocious career 8.1 interception percentage — so you can guess how the Hail Mary went:

None of this is to diminish how well Bagent has played relative to expectations. Once again, he’s a Division II quarterback starting his first professional football game against some of the finest athletes in the world. But if he can’t throw a Hail Mary or, you know, put some spice on his passes, it’s pretty evident his career ceiling is more of a backup than someone who’s going to change a franchise.

No one should ever be substituting you for Nathan Peterman in any respect if you’re good enough to be a full-time starter.

Bears place RB Khalil Herbert, WR Equanimeous St. Brown on injured reserve

The Bears without both players for a minimum of four games.

The Chicago Bears will be without a couple of their offensive weapons for the foreseeable future. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the Bears have placed running back Khalil Herbert and wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown on injured reserve. The team also re-signed quarterback Nathan Peterman to the active roster.

Herbert suffered a scary-looking ankle injury in the Bears’ 40-20 win against the Washington Commanders and had not practiced all week. The expectation was that he would miss some time, and now that has become official. Herbert has 51 carries for 272 yards and 10 receptions for 83 yards, and one touchdown for the season.

St. Brown, meanwhile, also sat out of practice this week with a hamstring injury. He was seeing extended playing time following the Chase Claypool fallout over the last few weeks and figured to factor in even more following his official departure. St. Brown has one catch for 21 yards for the year.

Both players will miss a minimum of four games and are eligible to return for the Bears’ matchup against the Carolina Panthers in Week 10 on Thursday Night Football.

Bears announce several roster moves, including Kyler Gordon designated to return from IR

The Bears designated CB Kyler Gordon and C Doug Kramer to return from IR and officially signed RB Darrynton Evans to the active roster.

The long weekend for the Chicago Bears has come and gone, and now it’s back to business as usual, which includes a flurry of roster moves as they prepare for a Week 6 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. On Monday, the Bears announced they signed running back Darrynton Evans to the active roster as well as quarterback Nathan Peterman to the practice squad. The Bears are also welcoming back a few players from injury, as they designated cornerback Kyler Gordon and center Doug Kramer to return from injured reserve.

Evans spent the 2022 season with the Bears, primarily on their practice squad. He played in six games, rushing 14 times for 64 yards. He bounced around the league during the 2023 offseason, most notably with the Buffalo Bills, where he made a statement against the Bears in the final preseason game with nine carries for 65 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown. Evans was most recently on the Miami Dolphins practice squad before coming to the Bears.

The signing of Evans is in response to the ankle injury running back Khalil Herbert suffered during last Thursday’s 40-20 win against the Washington Commanders. Herbert is expected to miss multiple weeks with the injury.

While the Bears are preparing to be without Herbert for the next few weeks, they could be getting a key player back in the fold. Gordon is set to return to practice this week after spending the last four weeks on injured reserve. He suffered a broken hand in the team’s Week 1 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Gordon had one tackle and one pass defensed before exiting the game.

Kramer, meanwhile, is also returning to practice after missing the first five weeks of the season. The second-year center was injured in the team’s final preseason game and has yet to play in a regular-season game. Both players will need to be activated within 21 days, or they will revert back to injured reserve.

Bears re-sign QB Nathan Peterman

The veteran quarterback returns to the Bears less than 24 hours after he was released.

Quarterback Nathan Peterman barely made it out of Lake Forest before the Chicago Bears brought him back. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Peterman was re-signed to the roster on Thursday morning. This comes less than 24 hours after he was released on one of the wildest days at Halas Hall in recent memory.

It’s unclear as of now if Peterman will continue to serve as the primary backup behind Justin Fields. For a brief moment, it appeared undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent would be elevated to the position, but now that’s up in the air.

The Bears are preparing to take on the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday at 3:25 p.m. CT.

Recapping a wacky Wednesday for the Bears at Halas Hall

Here’s everything that happened with the Bears on a crazy Wednesday at Halas Hall.

It was quite an eventful day for the Chicago Bears at Halas Hall on Wednesday, where a season’s worth of headlines seemed to cram itself into one week.

Whether it was roster moves, a surprise resignation or Justin Fields making headlines for all the wrong reasons, the Bears were the focus of the NFL world on Wednesday. It was like watching a dumpster fire — you simply couldn’t look away, waiting for the next thing to happen.

In case you missed the action, here’s a breakdown of everything that went down at Halas Hall on an eventful Wednesday:

Bear Necessities: What the heck happened at Halas Hall on Wednesday?

It was an eventful day for the Bears at Halas Hall yesterday. We recap Wednesday’s headlines.

This is our online morning newsletter, Bear Necessities. Subscribe to get the latest Bears news delivered to your mailbox every day.

What’s the latest with the Chicago Bears?

It was quite an eventful day at Halas Hall on Wednesday, which featured some big news and noteworthy moves. Alan Williams resigned as Bears defensive coordinator, Justin Fields took a jab at the coaches, left tackle Braxton Jones landed on injured reserve and the team released Nathan Peterman. All on Ryan Poles’ birthday, mind you.

Here’s a look at the most recent and relevant Bears stories for the morning of Sept. 21.