Nathan Peterman had a very forgettable time with the Buffalo Bills. In two years and eight games with the Bills, including four starts where he was 1-3, Peterman threw three touchdowns and 12 interceptions. To say Peterman was terrible, is an understatement. Ultimately, the Bills saw enough and released Peterman back in November.
Fortunately, for the 24-year-old Peterman, he was able to get another chance. Jon Gruden and the Raiders signed Peterman in December. Now, Peterman, who was picked in the fifth-round by Buffalo in the 2017 NFL draft, will get another opportunity to showcase his skills.
Recently, Bills LB Lorenzo Alexander, who was a guest on the Go4it podcast with Paul Gant, explained why the second-year QB struggled in Buffalo.
“I see a guy that is a professional. He works hard,” Alexander told Paul Gant. “Obviously, he probably doesn’t have the physical tools, on paper, as some of these other guys, but he is a guy that is going to continue to work. You don’t necessarily have to have those physical tools to be successful in this league.
“Obviously, he got a chance in Oakland. Obviously, (Jon)Gruden saw something in him as well that maybe he can help groom and work with, and be a viable backup when Derek Carr is not available. If not, maybe eventually become a starter somewhere down the line, but yeah, he didn’t perform well. Some of that is on Nate as he will acknowledge, and accept, and be accountable for, and some of it was his teammates.
“Obviously, quarterbacks, they get all the love, but I think sometimes when they are not doing as well, we continue to point the finger at them. When they’re probably the most dependent position on the field, and that’s for the great ones and the ones that struggle. You gotta have o-linemen blocking for you, you have to have running backs picking up blitzes; you have to have receivers getting open, and obviously, it’s their job to get the ball out on time and do it, but if you don’t have all of that going right, especially for a young guy, who may not be quite ready to play at this level. He is going to struggle, and that’s part of it, but if you have great pieces around him, I think it’s a little bit more easier for those guys to transition and grow. And we just did not have that; we weren’t ready to do that in Buffalo for Nate Peterman, especially being such a young football team this year.”
Buffalo did have some struggles in 2018, but they were a playoff team in 2017, and when Peterman got his opportunity against the Chargers that season, he threw five picks in the first half. It’s incredible that Peterman will get another chance in the NFL, especially when you consider that Colin Kaepernick has not played an NFL game in two years.
Hopefully, Peterman can take advantage of this opportunity in Oakland, and turn his career around.
Listen as Alexander talks Peterman at 09:34 mark of the interview, and make sure to check out the Go4it podcast on Iheart.com: