Getty Las Vegas Raiders backup QB Nathan Peterman.
The roster cut deadline is Saturday for the Las Vegas Raiders and they’ve already started to make some surprising moves. One player who looks like they were able to earn a roster spot is backup quarterback Nathan Peterman. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Peterman reworked his contract with the team.
Instead of getting $2.133 million unguaranteed, he’ll now get $1 million guaranteed.
The Raiders and QB Nathan Peterman agreed on a reworked contract for one-year, $1M, which is guaranteed, per source. He was previously due $2.133M, but it was not guaranteed.
The team continues to value him as a developmental QB prospect in a year where QB depth is important.
Peterman is heading into his fourth year in the NFL but it’s clear that Jon Gruden still thinks he can unlock some untapped potential. He was impressive in the preseason for the Raiders last season but suffered a season-ending injury before the regular season started. He probably still wouldn’t have played but he did miss out on some development. Gruden’s infatuation with Peterman has become a meme at this point so it’ll be interesting to see if they actually have plans for him.
Peterman Should Be Buried on Depth Chart
Unfortunately for Peterman, they didn’t believe in him enough to not bring in a solid backup. Early in free agency, the team signed former number two overall pick Marcus Mariota. That pretty much meant that Peterman had no chance of being Derek Carr’s backup. Regardless, Gruden is still going to try and get the best out of him.
Reports have indicated that Mariota hasn’t looked good in practices so far. There could be a door open for Peterman to eventually take over the backup spot. If not this year, perhaps the next. If Carr looks great this year, Mariota will probably want to move on and try to earn a starting job elsewhere. Gruden could be planning for Peterman to be a long-term backup for Carr. It’s never a bad idea to have multiple quarterbacks master a complicated offense like Gruden’s.
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Carr Poised for Big Year
Despite all the alleged quarterback drama that was mustered up this offseason, Carr is the Raiders’ starter and that doesn’t look like it’s going to change. He looked great in training camp, which isn’t anything new, but it’s hard to lose your job when you’re completely outplaying the guy who’s supposed to take it.
While he isn’t perfect, Carr is a lot better than he’s given credit for. He’s among the most accurate quarterbacks in the NFL and rarely turns the ball over. He has been criticized for playing too safe but that isn’t really fair considering the lack of talent he’s had to throw to. Even with the loss of Tyrell Williams for the season, the Raiders are vastly better at wide receiver this year. Henry Ruggs should be a difference-maker from day one.
Factor in an elite offensive line and Darren Waller and it’s hard to imagine the Raiders don’t have a top-10 offense at the end of the year. Carr has all the tools to put up career numbers in 2020. There are doubters he can do it, but it should be more of a surprise if Carr doesn’t have a big year.
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