Getty Bears head coach Matt Eberflus.
It was anything but a slow news day for the Chicago Bears.
Nathan Peterman is no longer a member of the organization after Chicago decided to cut ties with the third-string quarterback on Wednesday, September 20.
The Bears have released QB Nathan Peterman.
“The Bears have released QB Nathan Peterman,” ESPN’s Field Yates reported on X.
Earlier in the day, defensive coordinator Alan Williams abruptly resigned his position due to stated reasons of health and family. Later, starting quarterback Justin Fields blamed the offensive coaching staff for his “robotic” and unsuccessful play to start the season before ultimately walking those comments back.
Nathan Peterman’s Roller Coaster Run With Bears Now at End
GettyFormer Chicago Bears quarterback Nathan Peterman was released by the organization on Wednesday, September 20.
Peterman is now the second reserve quarterback with whom the Bears have parted ways in as many months.
Chicago added Peterman in late March as its third-string option behind P.J. Walker, whom the franchise signed to a two-year deal worth $4.15 million a couple of weeks prior. The Bears cut ties with Walker in late August after a dreadful preseason in which Peterman outplayed the former Carolina Panthers QB. Chicago ate roughly $2 million in guaranteed salary to dump Walker, who is now a member of the Cleveland Browns‘ practice squad.
However, the emergence of undrafted free agent Tyson Bagent rendered the No. 2 job out of reach for Peterman as well. The Bears cut Peterman in late August before quickly re-signing him to the practice squad.
With his time in Chicago now finished, Peterman returns to the journeyman status that has defined his NFL career. He got his start as a member of the Buffalo Bills in 2017, spending two years there and appearing in eight total games, including four starts.
Peterman didn’t log a regular season snap in 2019 before landing with the Las Vegas Raiders for the next two campaigns. While in the desert, he appeared in two contests but never made a start. Chicago was Peterman’s next stop. He played in three games last season and earned one start.
All told, Peterman’s career record under center is 1-4. He has completed 53.1% of his passes for 712 yards, 4 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, per Pro Football Reference.
Bears Likely to Add Another QB to Practice Squad After Cutting Nathan Peterman
GettyQuarterback Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears has struggled early in his third season.
The Bears are likely to add another quarterback to the practice squad sooner than later as an insurance policy against injury to either Fields or Bagent.
Who that player might be is hard to say, though one with some starting experience in the NFL would make considerable sense. Fields is playing in just his third season and Bagent is a rookie who hasn’t taken a regular-season snap at a level higher than Division II college football.
Teams are allowed to carry a third, emergency QB on their game-day rosters beginning this year as a safety net against catastrophic injury issues that might leave a franchise without a signal-caller during an important game. If for no other reason than that, the Bears should look to bring a third quarterback into the organization and begin familiarizing him with the playbook.
For his part, Fields has played poorly through two games this year. He has completed just 60.6% of his passes for 427 yards, 2 touchdowns, 3 interceptions and a career-worst QBR of 22.2.
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Bears Cut Ties with QB Amid Dramatic Day for Organization