Las Vegas Raiders: Curious case of Nathan Peterman

Las Vegas Raiders: Curious case of Nathan Peterman

Peterman with the Raiders

Peterman has shown great athleticism in the previous preseasons with the Raiders, as he has ripped off some long runs and played well during the exhibitions. His passing abilities seem to lack behind his athletic prowess, however, but despite that, Peterman played well enough in the 2019 preseason to be stashed on injured reserve and given another chance.

In training camp in 2019, Gruden said that Peterman “is growing on me,” and it is clear that Gruden has been Peterman’s biggest fan since college. He clearly values him more than the rest of the league.

Gruden notoriously has a complex offensive system that takes years to master. Gruden has noted that Carr has already mastered the system and has great command. This would be in line with Carr performing better every year with Gruden.

It is possible that Gruden simply thinks highly of Peterman’s mental attributes at the quarterback position and sees him as a long-term backup. Peterman was Carr’s main backup last season for over half the season following Mariota’s training camp injuries and ineffectiveness.

Ultimately, Peterman’s role with Las Vegas is very minor. The guaranteed money was a questionable decision, but when the head coach is also calling the shots in terms of the roster, that’s what you get. Gruden loves quarterbacks and has constantly praised Peterman, so maybe Gruden is continuing to groom him to be Carr’s future backup, or maybe it is just a long line of questionable Gruden decisions.