A former Chicago Bears veteran quarterback who spent time with the team early in general manager Ryan Poles’ tenure has landed a new opportunity with a bona fide AFC Super Bowl contender in the midst of NFL spring workouts.
According to NFL reporter Mike Klis of Denver-based 9News, the Denver Broncos have invited former Bears veteran backup quarterback Nathan Peterman to try out for their 90-man roster when the team holds its three-day rookie minicamp from May 8-10.
“Per source, the #Broncos are giving veteran QB Nathan Peterman a rookie minicamp tryout this weekend,” Klis wrote May 6 on X. “Last with Saints, Raiders, Falcons in 2024, Peterman turned 32 on Monday.”
Peterman served as one of the backup quarterbacks behind former Bears starter Justin Fields in both 2022 and 2023, primarily occupying the No. 3/practice-squad role over his time in Chicago. He did make a Week 18 start for them in 2022, though, completing 11 of his 19 passes for 114 yards and one touchdown in a loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
The Broncos might already have their three quarterbacks for the 2026 season in place, with starter Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger all signed to the 90-man roster. With Nix spending the offseason program on the sideline rehabbing his fractured ankle, though, there is room for a third quarterback to join the fray — at least through OTAs.
Nathan Peterman Ceded Backup Job to Tyson Bagent
Peterman spent two full seasons with the Bears in some capacity, but he might be best known at this point as the man who passed the torch to current backup Tyson Bagent.
After playing the No. 3 role behind Fields and Trevor Siemian in 2022, Peterman seized his opportunity to climb the depth chart during 2023’s training camp when P.J. Walker — who signed as the presumptive No. 2 — struggled to the point that the Bears cut him.
Peterman didn’t blow expectations out of the water with his 14-of-24 passing clip and pick-free games in the preseason, but he did look more capable than Walker in his reps.
Unfortunately for Peterman, the Bears also saw another quarterback (outside of Fields) catch their eye in training camp: Bagent, a UDFA signing out of Division II Shepherd.
Bagent exceeded expectations as a small-school undrafted quarterback during his first camp with the Bears, catching on quickly with Luke Getsy’s offensive system and faring better than the other backups in the preseason. He went 20-of-29 passing for 156 yards with no touchdowns and one pick in three games and added two rushing touchdowns.
When roster cuts rolled around, the Bears severed ties with Walker and kept Peterman and Bagent both on their 53-man roster, with Peterman penciled in as their top backup. The veteran ceded the second-string role to Bagent ahead of Week 4’s matchup, though, sliding off the active roster and to the practice squad for the rest of his time in Chicago.
No New Quarterback Controversies for Bears in 2026
While the turbulent nature of Poles’ first few seasons at the helm seemed to bring about a new quarterback controversy every offseason, things have begun to stabilize after new starter and 2024 No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams took a sizeable step forward in 2025 during his first season with head coach Ben Johnson calling the shots for the offense.
In fact, looking ahead to 2026’s training camp, the Bears might not even have much of a quarterback competition, as the hierarchy remains the same as it was one season ago.
After some offseason trade chatter, Bagent is once again returning as the Bears’ primary backup behind Williams on the depth chart. He is a talent who has routinely drawn the praise of Johnson. He also essentially locked himself into place as the team’s No. 2 quarterback when he signed a two-year, $10 million contract extension last August.
The Bears also secured veteran Case Keenum — their third-stringer in 2025 — on a two-year, $5.5 million contract extension earlier in the 2026 offseason. While Keenum is a clear third choice behind Williams and Bagent, Johnson has raved about how much he appreciates the mentorship and veteran perspective that he brings to the QB room.
While the Bears might add a fourth quarterback to their roster before the start of camp, it seems unlikely that they will add anyone of particular note to shake things up.
Ex-Bears Quarterback Lands Tryout With Super Bowl Contender