Tag: Nathan Peterman

Twitter reacts to Raiders bringing back QB Nathan Peterman

Twitter reacts to Raiders bringing back QB Nathan Peterman

Here I was toiling away with my usual battle not to get distracted by every little thing and actually do something productive, when a mini bombshell drops in my lap — the Raiders signed Nathan Peterman.

Yes, THAT Nathan Peterman.

The Nate Peterman who spent parts of four seasons with the Raiders for four years, seeing action in just two games and throwing a total of five passes for 25 yards.

So, when I tweeted out the news, the reactions were pretty much to be expected. Most were some form of this:

Some remember the camp that the Raiders spent on Hard Knocks and the way that Jon Gruden laid into Peterman.

Now, to be fair, that was the 2019 training camp, which was Peterman’s third NFL season and his first camp with the Raiders.

After that he spent three seasons with the Raiders, that first year on the practice squad.

From there, he spent two seasons in Chicago with the Bears. That’s where he played under Luke Getsy — Raiders new OC — and thus you have the connection that is bringing him back into the fold with the Raiders.

Peterman was signed this offseason by the Saints and released on August 2 due to a glut of QBs in New Orleans.  And after the way the Raiders QBs looked in the second half of their preseason opener, the Raiders probably felt a move had to be made.

And at least one commenter sought to give Peterman the benefit of the doubt.

While others just went with sarcasm.

Honestly, though, he probably is a better option than Anthony Brown or Carter Bradley at this point. Which says a lot more about the Raiders QB situation than anything.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Former Saints backup QB Nathan Peterman re-signs with Las Vegas Raiders

Former Saints backup quarterback Nathan Peterman re-signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, reuniting with one of his old coaches:

Nathan Peterman is going back to the Las Vegas Raiders. The former New Orleans Saints backup landed on his feet by re-signing with one of his old teams, reuniting with offensive coordinator Luke Getsy — who coached him on the Chicago Bears last year. Peterman was pushed to the bottom of the Saints depth chart when Spencer Rattler fell to them in April’s NFL draft.

The Raiders must have wanted another arm for the rest of their preseason with Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell still on top of the depth chart, though rookie quarterbacks Anthony Brown Jr. and Carter Bradley are still on the roster.

Good luck to him. Peterman only appeared in two games with the Raiders as Derek Carr’s backup from 2020 to 2021, completed 3 of 5 passes for a gain of 25 yards. He’s totaled 13 interceptions against just 4 touchdown passes on 160 career attempts in 15 games with three different teams. We’ll have to wait and see if he’s still wearing silver and black when the Saints host Las Vegas at the Caesars Superdome on Dec. 29.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Raiders bring back QB Nathan Peterman

Nathan Peterman is BACK with the Raiders

Nathan Peterman is back in Silver & Black. The journeyman has been signed by the Raiders as they enter game week for their second preseason game.

A former round five pick by the Buffalo Bills, Peterman has started just five career games in six NFL seasons. He spent parts of four seasons with the Raiders from 2018-21.

He gets the call up today because he spent the past two seasons in Chicago with Raiders OC Luke Getsy, so he has familiarity with his system. Peterman started one game for the Bears in 2022, going 14 of 25 for 139 yards, one touchdown and one interception in a season-ending loss to the Vikings.

He was most recently with the Saints, once again behind former Raiders QB Derek Carr. He signed on in New Orleans last May and was released on August 2. Opening the door for a return to the Raiders and a reunion with Getsy.

In a corresponding move, the raiders waived/injured WR Keelan Doss.

With backup QB competition heating up, Saints release Nathan Peterman

With the backup quarterback competition between Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener heating up, the New Orleans Saints released Nathan Peterman:

With the backup quarterback competition between Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener heating up, the New Orleans Saints released Nathan Peterman, the team announced Friday. The veteran backup was let go to make room on the 90-man roster for more help at wide receiver after a rash of injuries; the Saints signed Samson Nacua in a corresponding move.

It’s a tough break for Peterman, who might have made the team or gotten a spot on the practice squad had the Saints not drafted Rattler in April. But the upside in picking a talented rookie quarterback was too strong to pass up, and now Peterman will be looking to join another team for the preseason. He had followed his former position coach Andrew Janocko to New Orleans with an advocate in Jon Gruden, who had been consultant with the Saints coaching  staff.

If anything this says a lot about how the Saints currently feel about Rattler and Haener. They want to give those young passers every opportunity to show what they can do, starting with next week’s preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals. If Peterman isn’t going to see many snaps with either Rattler or Haener playing the entire second half, it makes sense to release him now so every effort can be spent preparing the youngsters and evaluating them. Good luck to Peterman in his next move.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Saints sign Samson Nacua, brother of Rams star Puka Nacua

The New Orleans Saints signed wide receiver Samson Nacua, the older brother of Los Angeles Rams star Puka Nacua:

More reinforcements are on the way for the New Orleans Saints. The black and gold announced Friday that they had signed wide receiver Samson Nacua, the older brother of Los Angeles Rams star Puka Nacua. He played at Utah for five years before transferring to BYU in 2021 where he got to play alongside his younger brother.

He’s taken a harder road to the NFL. Initially signed by the Indianapolis Colts as as an undrafted free agent in 2022, Nacua most recently suited up for the USFL’s Pittsburgh Maulers in 2023 and the UFL’s Michigan Panthers in 2024 after the spring league merged with the XFL.

The Saints were shorthanded in the receiving corps after injuries sidelined Cedrick Wilson Jr., Equanimeous St. Brown, and rookie draft pick Bub Means. In addition to Nacua, they re-signed Marquez Callaway, who spent last season on their practice squad. Backup quarterback Nathan Peterman was let go in a corresponding move.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Saints waive backup quarterback Kellen Mond before rookie minicamp

The Saints waived backup quarterback Kellen Mond before rookie minicamp. Change was inevitable after the team drafted Spencer Rattler:

And then there were four. ESPN’s Field Yates first reported that the New Orleans Saints have waived backup quarterback Kellen Mond, just a few days before the start of rookie minicamp. The Saints were overcrowded at quarterback between Derek Carr, Jake Haener, Nathan Peterman, Mond, and this year’s fifth-round draft pick Spencer Rattler. Someone was going to go.

As we expected, Mond was the first to go. He was also the latest to sign, having arrived in New Orleans just before the 2024 NFL draft (and a month after Peterman). So Peterman will have to make his case for a spot on the Saints practice squad at training camp this summer while Haener and Rattler compete for the backup job behind Carr.

Something else to note: Mond leaving frees up the No. 2 jersey, which could be highly coveted. Both wide receiver Chris Olave and cornerback Alontae Taylor have hinted at switching to it on social media this offseason. If Taylor wants to pick it up that would open the No. 1 jersey for his rookie teammate Kool-Aid McKinstry. Fans may want to see Olave in his college number, but buying out unsold stock in his No. 12 jerseys might be cost-prohibitive. Stay tuned.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Anonymous NFL executive comments on Spencer Rattler’s ‘image concerns’

An anonymous ESPN source downplayed Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler’s “perceived image concerns” after a surprise fall in the 2024 draft:

Why did Spencer Rattler fall into the fifth round of this year’s NFL draft? The New Orleans Saints made a great value pick by selecting him at No. 150 overall, but he was projected to go much higher. Reporting during and after the draft cited character concerns and suggested Rattler’s less-than-flattering appearance on a Netflix documentary when he was in high school had rattled some teams.

But that’s a narrative many of Rattler’s supporters have worked to unravel, including his former coach at South Carolina, Shame Beamer. Whatever immaturity and arrogance that may have been perceived back then is behind him. And it’s by no means a consensus opinion in the NFL that Rattler was riddled with red flags coming out of college.

“Really didn’t harp on it much — it wasn’t a big thing,” one anonymous team source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. “He’s matured a lot since then, like we all have. If there was a camera in my face when I was in high school, I wouldn’t have looked great, either. He was impressive in his interviews.”

Of course that’s only part of the equation. The teams that needed quarterbacks most this year already added them early in the draft, with six passers being taken in the first dozen selections. Fowler elaborated on that point:

South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler‘s fall to the fifth round was, in part, a need issue. Two teams extremely high on him — the Atlanta Falcons and Denver Broncos — drafted quarterbacks in the top 12. That essentially left the Las Vegas Raiders, who had made the calculation that an Aidan O’Connell–Gardner Minshew combo alleviated the need to reach for a quarterback.

But make no mistake, Rattler is not perceived as 138 picks worse than Bo Nix — some evaluators had him awfully close to the same tier as Nix.

One team source had zero issues with the perceived image concerns facing Rattler, whose appearance in the documentary “QB1” during his high school career did not portray his personality in the best light.

So what are the expectations for Rattler in New Orleans? He isn’t going to take Derek Carr’s job just yet, but he has the talent to do so in a year or two. If he’s receptive to coaching and puts in the work to develop into a credible starter, he could be the one leading the team out of the tunnel in the not so distant future. But the first thing he needs to worry about is outplaying Jake Haener, Nathan Peterman, and Kellen Mond for the right to back up Carr in 2024.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

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.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

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.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

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.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]