Why Nathan Peterman signing is smart for Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears signed Nathan Peterman to a contract to be their third quarterback, cutting Ryan Willis in the process. The move was surprising in some regards, but Willis just worked out for the Bears at rookie minicamp, and obviously, something happened that made them want to upgrade.

While the move has initially been met with laughter from all sides, the move is probably not as bad as the jokes suggest. Nathan Peterman is not an NFL starting quarterback and will not be one. He has had one of the worst starts to a career on the field and has become a joke in the NFL community.

However, there is a reason that Peterman has stuck around the NFL since 2017, and it is not his play on the field. It is obviously what he brings off of the field.

Nathan Peterman has been respected as a backup quarterback

Nathan Peterman is trusted as depth. He is a nice person to have in the quarterback room. He is the upgrade over Tyler Bray, a third quarterback that Matt Nagy kept around for years because he knew the offense like the back of his hand.

Peterman may not know the offense as well as Bray, but considering Peterman played at Pitt, and Luke Getsy started his college career at Pitt, they have surely crossed paths.

During his first stint in the NFL Nathan Peterman was starting ahead of Josh Allen before losing his job. While the Bears will not have Peterman push Justin Fields as he did with Josh Allen, it is interesting to note that Peterman spent time in the room with Allen during the days in which Allen developed the most.

No one is giving Peterman credit but rather saying he did not hurt the process, and clearly was someone that the coaches and players respected. After the Bills moved on he went to the Raiders.

While Derek Carr is not new to the NFL, he has had his best couple of seasons in recent years. Again, no one is going to credit Peterman, but it does not hurt that someone like Peterman was in the room.

There are two ways to handle the backup position; you either have an upside guy waiting in the wings, or you have a supportive backup who is almost a coach.

The NFL media seems to think that the Bears coaches are out on Justin Fields. However, the two names they brought in at quarterback are two of the least frightening names when it comes to pushing Justin Fields. You could argue that Fields has two extra quarterback coaches far more than you can claim that these two are here to push Justin Fields.

If Nathan Peterman actually gets on the field for the Chicago Bears in 2022 we can laugh at the decision. However, the Chicago Bears bringing in two veterans with longtime experience helping out in the quarterback room is not a problem and should be looked at as a good idea.