The Denver Broncos are about to hold their rookie minicamp, and they're giving Nathan Peterman a tryout at QB.
The Denver Broncos are in the process of introducing their new draft picks, and they’ll get their first taste of life in the NFL in the team’s rookie camp. The rookie receivers could have a veteran quarterback throwing to them, though, as the Broncos are giving Nathan Peterman a tryout this weekend, according to a report from Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk via Mike Kris of 9News.
This is surprising given how long Peterman has been out of the NFL. The 32-year old quarterback didn’t play at all last season, and he was last seen with the New Orleans Saints, Las Vegas Raiders and Atlanta Falcons, and his last game experience came back in 2023 with the Chicago Bears.
The Buffalo Bills selected Peterman in the fifth round back in 2017, and he’s been the definition of a journeyman NFL backup. He spent a year and a half in Buffalo, then moved on to the Raiders in 2020-21, and he’s played a total of 15 games with five starts in his career, completing 53.1 percent of his passes for 712 yards with four touchdowns and 13 interceptions, according to Williams.
Peterman became infamous for making one of the worst debuts in NFL history back in Buffalo. It happened against the Chargers, as former coach Sean McDermott benched veteran Tyron Taylor for Peterman, who proceeded to throw five interceptions in the first half in just 14 attempts, with one of those picks being returned for a touchdown. The Bills fell behind 37-7 at halftime, and they ended up losing the game 54-24.
Peterman has stuck around despite his disastrous start, mostly because he’s valued for his teaching and mentoring skills, and because he has some value in the film room and as a practice quarterback.
So why are the Broncos doing this? On the surface, it’s the essence of a “nothing lost, nothing gained” kind of move, but there may be more to this story than meets the eye.
For starters, coach Sean Payton loves to evaluate quarterbacks. He’s got a reputation for finding backups in the rough at the position, and that may be a possibility with Peterman.
If you’re into guesswork and conspiracy theories, trying Peterman could be remotely related to Bo Nix’s situation. The Broncos have been walking back earlier comments that Nix will be ready for OTAs and minicamp, and Peterman could be a camp arm if Payton likes what he sees this weekend. This will probably end up being a one-day shot, but there is the possibility that it could be more.