Getty Nathan Peterman & Derek Carr of the Las Vegas Raiders.
It’s not totally clear what the Las Vegas Raiders‘ quarterback room might look like in 2021 but it appears as if one guy is coming back. The team announced on Thursday that they’ve signed Nathan Peterman to a one-year contract extension.
If he makes it past final roster cuts, Peterman will be with the Raiders for a third straight year. In 2019, he didn’t play in a single game due to an injury suffered prior to the season. Last year, he served as Derek Carr’s primary backup for 11 games while Marcus Mariota got healthy.
The only time Peterman has played in a regular-season game for the Raiders was in relief of Carr during the 43-6 blowout to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 12. In that game, he completed three of five passes for 25 yards.
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Still Unknown if Jon Gruden Has Fixed Peterman
It’s no secret that Raiders head coach Jon Gruden is a fan of Peterman. When the coach was still at ESPN back in 2017, he even went so far as to suggest that the quarterback was more “pro-ready” than Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes. Obviously, that was one of the worst takes of his career.
Luckily for the Raiders, Gruden wasn’t calling the shots for them in 2017. In nine career games, Peterman has thrown three touchdowns compared to 12 interceptions. There’s been little indication that he can lead an NFL offense. Gruden brought him to the Raiders as a project and it’s hard to know how that’s paid off yet.
Peterman looked good during the 2019 preseason but there were no preseason games in 2020. There’s also limited media availability in practice so there haven’t been any updates on his progress. Obviously, Gruden still likes him enough to give him another shot. In all likelihood, Peterman will have a decent career as a backup but it’s hard to imagine Gruden has turned him into a starting-caliber player.
What Are the Plans for Mariota?
Even with the decision to give Peterman an extension, it’s still unclear what the Raiders might do with Mariota. He’s getting paid a lot of money to be Carr’s backup. It just doesn’t seem wise for the team to pay him the over $10 million he’s owed next season.
The Raiders can cut him without a penalty but that might not be the wisest decision. Mariota could hold some trade value. While he lost his starting job with the Tennessee Titans, he’s probably better than a number of starters around the NFL. Perhaps a team like the Chicago Bears or New England Patriots hit up the Raiders and offer them a third or fourth-round pick for Mariota. That wouldn’t be a bad return for the team.
It’s also increasingly important to have a good backup quarterback on the roster. Is Gruden comfortable with Peterman taking over his team if Carr gets hurt? Probably not, which is why they gave Mariota all that money in the first place. That said, the Raiders have too many other needs to pay a backup quarterback over $10 million. Either he needs to renegotiate his contract or it’s time to move on.
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