LAKE FOREST – With Nick Foles now out of the picture for the Bears after his release following the draft, the team was in the market for another quarterback as they enter the 2022 season.
It appears they’ve found that person just as their offseason training activities at Halas Hall get into full gear this month.
On Wednesday, the Bears signed quarterback Nathan Peterman to a one-year deal as he joins his third team in the NFL since he made his debut in 2017. He comes to Chicago after spending the last three seasons with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders.
Justin Fields will enter the season as the starter with Trevor Siemian, who signed with the team after free agency, likely being the backup when the season opens this fall.
Peterman will be entering his sixth campaign in the NFL which began with the Bills, who selected him in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Peterman would play in four games each of his first two seasons in Buffalo with two starts, but wouldn’t factor into their long-term plans with Josh Allen in the mix and was even released before the end of the 2018 season.
His last start of that season for the Bills was against the Bears in Orchard Park on November 4th, when he threw three interceptions in a 41-9 loss, completing 31-of-49 passes for 188 yards while rushing for a touchdown.
After his release, Peterman signed with the Raiders ahead of the 2019 season but was placed on injured reserve in September of that year with an elbow injury and never played for the team during their final year in Oakland.
Peterman would appear in relief for Las Vegas for one game in 2020 and one in 2021, with the latter being against the Bears last October. He entered for Derek Carr for four snaps at Allegiant Stadium after the starter briefly left with an injury in the second half.