NFL
Bears May Start Historically Bad QB Nathan Peterman After Shock Injury to Trevor Siemian in Warm-ups
Tim Crean started writing about sports in 2016 and joined Sportscasting in 2021. He excels with his versatile coverage of the NFL and soccer landscape, as well as his expertise breaking down sports media, which stems from his many years downloading podcasts before they were even cool and countless hours spent listening to Mike & The Mad Dog and The Dan Patrick Show, among other programs. As a longtime self-professed sports junkie who even played DII lacrosse at LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York, Tim loves reading about all the latest sports news every day and considers it a dream to write about sports professionally. He's a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan from Western New York who mistakenly thought, back in the early '90s, that his team would be in the Super Bowl every year. He started following European soccer — with a Manchester City focus — in the early 2000s after spending far too much time playing FIFA. When he's not enjoying a round of golf or coaching youth soccer and flag football, Tim likes reading the work of Bill Simmons, Tony Kornheiser, Chuck Klosterman, and Tom Wolfe.
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With Justin Fields out with a shoulder injury, the Chicago Bears planned to start journeyman Trevor Siemian at quarterback in Week 12 vs. the New York Jets. However, as the 1:00 pm ET kick-off time approached, news broke that the 30-year-old Siemian suffered an injury, and now the Bears starting QB this week will be the historically bad former Buffalo Bills QB Nathan Peterman.
The Bears will start Nathan Peterman in Week 12
Justin Fields, the Bears’ 2021 first-round pick, has shown some excellent signs of improvement in his sophomore NFL season. However, in Week 11, Fields took several hits to the shoulder late in a 27-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The result was his getting carted off the field at the end of the game and torn ligaments in his shoulder.
That meant Fields will miss the Bears’ Week 12 game vs. the Jets.
Fields’ backup is Trevor Siemian, who is 13-16 in 29 career starts in the NFL and has 41 touchdowns to 27 interceptions. Not a bad option.
Unfortunately for Siemian, NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo tweeted right before the game that Siemian suffered an oblique injury in warmups and is now out for the contest. That means the third-string QB, just elevated from the practice squad, will start the game.
And that means it’s Nathan Peterman time.
The backup Bears QB holds a dubious distinction
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The Buffalo Bills drafted quarterback Nathan Peterman in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft out of Pitt, a year before they took Josh Allen. In his career, Peterman has a rough stat line. He is 1-3 in four starts and is 68-of-130 (52.3%) for 573 yards with three touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
The cumulative stats aren’t what Peterman is known for, though. His biggest (and most dubious) claim to fame is that he is tied for the record of most interceptions thrown in a first NFL start, and all five of those picks came in the first half of his first start.
It was Week 10 of 2017, and Peterman earned his first start after a 7-of-10, 79-yard, one-TD, no-interception performance in relief of Tyrod Taylor the week before.
In that game, the Bills took on the Los Angles Chargers, and things did not go well for Peterman from the start.
The rookie QB threw picks on each of his first two drives but then did lead the Bills on a 64-yard touchdown drive. However, the next two drives also ended in interceptions for Peterman. Then, after back-to-back series that ended in punts, Peterman threw his fifth and final INT of the half, and Taylor mercifully took over for the third and fourth quarters.
His final stat line for the day was 6-of-14 for 66 yards with five interceptions and no touchdowns.
Only Los Angeles Rams QB Rams Keith Null had as many INTs in his first start in 2009, and those came over a full game, not just a half.
Now, in Week 12, Nathan Peterman gets one more shot with the Bears. Let’s hope it works out better than his first start.
