Nathan Peterman Bio
Nathan Michael Peterman, born on May 4, 1994, is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League for seven seasons. He played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers following a stint with the Tennessee Volunteers and was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft. After retiring as a player, Peterman transitioned into a sports-agency career.
Peterman became nationally known during a difficult rookie stretch with the Bills, when he threw five first-half interceptions in his first career start and posted a 0.0 passer rating in the 2018 season opener. His combined 11 interceptions from 2017 through 2018 stood as the most ever thrown by a quarterback with fewer than 100 passing attempts. He later served as a backup with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders, Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, and Atlanta Falcons before stepping away from the field.
Early Life and Background
Nathan Michael Peterman was born on May 4, 1994, in Jacksonville, Florida, and grew up in nearby St. Johns. He is the younger son of a pastor, a background he has publicly credited with shaping his Christian faith and his approach to handling adversity on and off the field. Peterman has spoken often about how his family’s religious grounding helped him respond to the early professional setbacks that shaped his public reputation.
Peterman attended Bartram Trail High School in St. Johns, Florida, where he played for the Bears football team. As a senior, he threw for 2,392 yards and 36 touchdowns, a performance that earned him a four-star recruit rating. He committed to the University of Tennessee to play college football under head coach Derek Dooley, marking his first step into major college football.
Path to Professional Football
Peterman began his college career at Tennessee in 2012, redshirting his first year before working his way into the rotation. After Derek Dooley was fired following a poor performance against Vanderbilt, new head coach Butch Jones oversaw Peterman’s development. Peterman appeared in four games as a redshirt freshman in 2013, including his first career start against No. 19 Florida, but a broken hand cut that outing short. As a sophomore in 2014, he started once against No. 4 Alabama before Joshua Dobbs claimed the job for the remainder of the season.
Peterman transferred to the University of Pittsburgh as a graduate transfer in 2015 and immediately took over as the starting quarterback under Pat Narduzzi. In his first Pittsburgh season, he completed 193 of 314 passes for 2,287 yards, 20 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, leading the Panthers to an 8–5 record. His senior year featured a career-defining 308-yard, five-touchdown performance in a 43–42 upset of eventual national champion Clemson, the Tigers’ only loss that season.
Nathan Peterman Career
Pre-Draft (2016–2017)
Following the 2016 college season, Peterman accepted an invitation to the 2017 Senior Bowl, where he impressed scouts with his arm strength, accuracy, and mobility. He completed 16 of 23 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown in the Senior Bowl game itself, playing for the North squad coached by Chicago Bears head coach John Fox. Peterman was also one of 15 quarterbacks invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, where he posted strong showings in the three-cone drill, the 40-yard dash, the vertical jump, and the short shuttle.
Buffalo Bills (2017–2018)
The Buffalo Bills selected Peterman in the fifth round, 171st overall, of the 2017 NFL draft. He was the eighth quarterback taken that year and quickly won the backup job over T. J. Yates and Cardale Jones. Peterman made his NFL debut in Week 10 against the New Orleans Saints, throwing his first career touchdown on a seven-yard pass to tight end Nick O’Leary. The following week, he was thrust into his first start against the Los Angeles Chargers and threw five first-half interceptions, tying an NFL record for the most in a player’s first career start.
After Tyrod Taylor suffered a knee injury, Peterman started against the Indianapolis Colts in a snowstorm, throwing a touchdown before leaving with a concussion. He closed his 2017 season with a brief relief appearance in the AFC Wild Card loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, where a late interception to Jalen Ramsey ended Buffalo’s playoff hopes. Going into 2018, Peterman was named the Bills’ opening day starter over first-round pick Josh Allen. He was benched at halftime of the opener against the Baltimore Ravens after posting a 0.0 passer rating and was replaced by Allen the following week. He was released by Buffalo in November 2018 after a stretch of play that USA Today described as “historically bad.”
Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders (2018–2021)
Peterman signed with the Oakland Raiders practice squad in December 2018 at the urging of head coach Jon Gruden, who had long admired his college film. After a strong preseason in 2019, he landed on injured reserve with an elbow injury. Peterman re-signed with the Raiders in 2020 and made his regular-season debut in Week 12 against the Atlanta Falcons, completing three of five passes in relief of Derek Carr. He signed a one-year extension in February 2021 and continued serving as a backup before being released and re-signed to the practice squad in November.
Chicago Bears (2022–2023)
Peterman joined the Chicago Bears in May 2022 and spent most of that season on the practice squad before being elevated to the active roster following injuries at the position. He appeared briefly against his former Bills team on Christmas Eve 2022 and started the Week 18 game against the Minnesota Vikings in January 2023, throwing for 114 yards and a touchdown. Peterman was re-signed in March 2023 and won the primary backup job behind Justin Fields, but a series of cuts and re-signings during the season eventually pushed him to third string behind undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent.
New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders (2024)
Peterman signed with the New Orleans Saints in March 2024, but his contract was terminated in early August. He re-signed with the Las Vegas Raiders later that month and was released as part of the team’s initial 53-man roster cuts.
Atlanta Falcons (2024)
On September 3, 2024, the Atlanta Falcons signed Peterman to their practice squad. He remained with Atlanta through the end of the season before becoming a free agent.
Notable Events and Milestones
Peterman’s five-interception first half against the Chargers in 2017 tied an NFL record, and his 0.0 passer rating in the 2018 opener became one of the league’s most quoted statistical lowlights. His 11 interceptions across the 2017 and 2018 seasons remain the most ever for a quarterback with fewer than 100 passing attempts. He also authored one of the most memorable upset moments of the 2016 college season, leading Pittsburgh past eventual national champion Clemson 43–42.
Nathan Peterman Career Statistics
Across his NFL career, Peterman appeared in games for the Buffalo Bills, Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders, Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, and Atlanta Falcons. He finished his time in Buffalo with three passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown, and 12 interceptions, posting a 32.5 passer rating as a Bill. His career NFL totals include 85 completions on 160 attempts for 712 yards, four touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and a 39.4 passer rating.
Nathan Peterman Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Peterman is the younger son of a pastor, a family background he has credited with shaping his Christian faith. He has said that his religious upbringing helped him manage the adversity that came with his early NFL struggles.
Peterman is married to Morgan Peterman, née Shull, his college girlfriend from the University of Tennessee. The couple has been together since their Tennessee days, and Morgan has been a visible presence throughout his professional career.
Post-Playing Career
After his time as a player ended, Peterman began training to become an agent with Range Sports, the same agency that represented him during his playing days. His reported focus is on student-athlete compensation, an area of growing importance in the college sports landscape.
2025 Outlook
Peterman was not on an NFL roster during the 2025 season, having become a free agent after the 2024 campaign. He had a tryout at the Denver Broncos’ rookie minicamp in May 2026 but was not signed by the team. With his transition into sports agency underway, Peterman’s 2025 chapter has centered on building a second career in player representation rather than returning to the field.