Nathan Peterman: From College Prospect to NFL Journeyman

Nathan Michael Peterman, born on May 4, 1994, is an American professional football quarterback. While his NFL career has been marked by struggles and short stints with multiple teams, his college career showed promise, particularly during his time at the University of Pittsburgh. This article delves into Peterman's college career, highlighting his high school performance, his time at Tennessee, his transfer to Pittsburgh, and his overall college statistics.

Early Years and High School Career

Peterman attended Bartram Trail High School in St. Johns, Florida, where he played for the Bears football team. In his senior year of 2011, he completed 199 of 315 passes for 2,932 yards, 36 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. This performance ranked second in St. Johns County history. As a senior, he passed for 2,392 yards and 36 touchdowns. Peterman was evaluated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 15 pro-style quarterback in the nation by 247Sports, as well as No.

Time at the University of Tennessee

In 2012, Peterman began his college career at the University of Tennessee as a four-star recruit. He redshirted his freshman season to preserve a year of eligibility. After his redshirt freshman year, Peterman's head coach was Butch Jones.

2013 Season

As a redshirt freshman in 2013, he served as the backup to starter Justin Worley amid a crowded quarterback room that included true freshmen Joshua Dobbs and Riley Ferguson. Peterman was one of the three backup quarterbacks as Justin Worley won the starting job in the offseason. He made his collegiate debut in a home game at Neyland Stadium against Austin Peay in relief of Worley in a 45-0 victory. He was 4-of-8 passing for 28 yards against the Governors. After the game against #2 Oregon at Autzen Stadium, where Tennessee was defeated by a score of 59-14, Worley was benched in favor of Peterman.

2014 Season

As a sophomore in 2014, Peterman remained behind Worley on the depth chart. Entering his sophomore year in 2014, Peterman participated in a competitive battle for the starting role during spring practice alongside Worley, Dobbs, and Ferguson, but Worley retained the job to open the season. He played in seven games and made one start, which came against #4 Alabama at Neyland Stadium, after Worley was injured in the 34-3 loss to #3 Ole Miss. Despite getting the start, Joshua Dobbs relieved Peterman in the game. Injuries to Worley midway through the year elevated Peterman to the starting spot against Alabama on October 25, where he completed 2 of 4 passes for 10 yards before being replaced by Dobbs, who then assumed the role for the remainder of the season and into the TaxSlayer Bowl win over Iowa. Dobbs started the next game against South Carolina and kept the job for the rest of the season. Peterman made one last appearance as a member of the Volunteers against Kentucky.

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Transfer to the University of Pittsburgh

After transferring from the University of Tennessee as a graduate student in early 2015, Nathan Peterman joined the University of Pittsburgh, where he was immediately eligible due to his bachelor's degree in communications earned from Tennessee in three years. Under head coach Pat Narduzzi, Peterman enrolled in Pitt's MBA program at the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business.

2015 Season

Peterman was named starting QB for Pitt against Virginia Tech.

2016 Season

Peterman returned as a starter his senior year in Pittsburgh. Peterman solidified his role as the full-time starter in 2016, his senior year, guiding Pitt to another 8-5 finish and captaining the program's highest-scoring offense in history at 40.9 points per game. He passed for 2,855 yards, 27 touchdowns, and just 7 interceptions, earning praise from NFL scouts for marked improvements in accuracy-completing 60.5% of his passes-and sound decision-making, including quick progression through reads and low turnover rate. He threw for 308 yards and five touchdowns in the 43-42 victory. Peterman had a career day against the eventual National Champion Clemson Tigers on November 12. Highlights included a 43-42 upset over then-No. 2 Clemson, where he threw for 308 yards and 5 touchdowns, marking the Tigers' sole loss en route to the national championship. On November 16, 2016, it was announced that Peterman accepted an invitation to play in the Senior Bowl. During Senior Bowl practices, Peterman impressed scouts and media in attendance after he displayed his decent size, accuracy, mobility, and his powerful arm. He met with representatives from the New Orleans Saints during the week and was praised by NFL analysts Daniel Jeremiah and Charles Davis. On January 28, 2017, Peterman played in the Senior Bowl and completed 16 of 23 pass attempt for 153 yards and a touchdown during the North 16-15 loss to the South. Peterman played for Chicago Bears head coach John Fox's North team during the game.

NFL Draft and Early Career

Peterman was one of 15 collegiate quarterbacks who received an invitation to participate at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana. He completed the majority of combine drills, but opted to skip the bench press. Peterman was brought in to compete for the Bills' backup quarterback position along with T. J. Yates and Cardale Jones. Peterman performed well enough to win the backup quarterback job after Jones was traded to the Los Angeles Chargers. Following the third preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, Peterman became the only healthy quarterback for the Bills as starter Tyrod Taylor and Yates both sustained concussions in the game. This left open the possibility of Peterman starting for the team in Week 1, but Taylor recovered in time to start the season opener against the New York Jets. Had Peterman started the game, he would have been the second-lowest-drafted rookie quarterback to start a season opener since the AFL-NFL merger.

Selected by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round (171st overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft, Peterman signed a four-year rookie contract worth $2.7 million.

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NFL Career

Peterman's NFL career has been characterized by short stints with multiple teams and struggles on the field.

Buffalo Bills (2017-2018)

During Week 10 against the New Orleans Saints, Peterman made his NFL debut with less than five minutes left in the game. With the Bills trailing 47-3, he led a scoring drive, completing 7 of 10 passes for 79 yards and one touchdown as the Bills lost by a score of 47-10. On November 15, 2017, Peterman was named the Bills' starting quarterback for the team's Week 11 game against the Los Angeles Chargers due to Taylor's struggles. During the game, Peterman threw five interceptions in the first half and was relieved by Taylor at the start of the second half. His five interceptions tied an NFL record for the most thrown in a player's first career start. Due to Taylor having suffered a knee injury in Week 13, Peterman started the Week 14 game against the Indianapolis Colts. On January 7, 2018, Peterman entered the Bills' Wild Card Round game against the Jacksonville Jaguars with 1:43 remaining in the 4th quarter after Taylor suffered a concussion.

Starting in Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens, Peterman only threw for 24 yards, throwing two interceptions and not leading the team to a first down until the third quarter. After Allen was injured against the Houston Texans and with Anderson inactive, Peterman entered the game and threw a touchdown to Zay Jones to put Buffalo in the lead. Peterman was benched in favor of another mid-season signing, Matt Barkley, for the Week 10 matchup against the New York Jets. Barkley led the Bills to a 41-10 win over the Jets. With the Bills entering their bye week and Allen expected to be ready to play by the time of their next game, the Bills released Peterman on the evening of November 12. He appeared in 5 games (3 starts) for the Bills from 2017 to 2018, throwing 3 passing touchdowns and 12 interceptions in his tenure, including his notorious debut start against the Los Angeles Chargers on October 29, 2017. Peterman's 11 interceptions between 2017 and 2018 are the most for a quarterback with fewer than 100 passing attempts.

Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders (2018-2021, 2024)

Peterman joined the Oakland Raiders' practice squad on December 19, 2018, shortly after his release from the Buffalo Bills. He signed a reserve/future contract with the team on January 1, 2019, securing his spot for the upcoming season. Peterman made his first appearance for the Raiders in the 4th quarter in a Week 12 blowout loss to the Atlanta Falcons in relief of starter Derek Carr.

On February 4, 2021, Peterman signed a one-year contract extension with the Raiders. He remained with the franchise (later Las Vegas Raiders) through 2021, appearing in 2 games in 2020 with 3 completions on 5 attempts for 32 yards. Throughout the 2021 season, he primarily operated from the practice squad, with multiple elevations to the active roster, including for Week 9 against the New York Giants. He appeared in one regular-season game that year without attempting a pass. Just 11 days later, on August 13, 2024, Peterman returned to the Las Vegas Raiders for a second stint, signing as a free agent to bolster their quarterback depth amid preseason preparations.

Chicago Bears (2022-2023)

Peterman signed with the Chicago Bears in 2022, appearing in 5 games over two seasons (1 start), completing 14 of 25 passes for 146 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception, before being released in 2024. On May 11, 2022, Peterman signed with the Bears. On December 3, 2022, Peterman was signed to the active roster after Siemian was placed on injured reserve, becoming Fields' primary backup. He made a relief appearance in place of Fields against his former team, the Bills, during the waning moments of a 35-13 loss on Christmas Eve. On January 4, 2023, Peterman was named the starter for the Week 18 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, replacing Justin Fields who was ruled out for a sore hip. Peterman was re-signed to a one-year deal on March 31, 2023. He was then released as part of final roster moves on August 29, but was re-signed to the active roster two days later. Peterman was named the second-string option behind starter Justin Fields and ahead of undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent, beating out veteran P. J. Walker for the role.

New Orleans Saints (2024)

On March 18, 2024, Peterman signed with the New Orleans Saints. Peterman's tenure with the Saints was brief, as the team released him on August 2, 2024, to trim its roster ahead of training camp while adding wide receiver Samson Nacua.

Personal Life and Philanthropy

Peterman shares a close bond with his parents and two brothers, Aaron and Ryan, who have remained integral to his personal life amid his professional endeavors. Peterman is an avid golfer, frequently participating in rounds during the offseason and with teammates. Peterman has been actively involved in philanthropy, particularly supporting causes related to type 1 diabetes through the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). His commitment stems from his two brothers living with the condition, motivating his repeated participation in the NFL's My Cause, My Cleats initiative. The younger son of a pastor, Peterman credits his Christian faith in helping him face adversity.

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