The Chicago Bears made a few improvements to their roster in free agency. To use a poor baseball analogy right after the MLB Opening Day, the Bears spent March hitting singles instead of home runs. The Bears added another head-scratcher to their roster Thursday when the team signed veteran backup quarterback Nathan Peterman. Peterman was considered the quintessential quarterback for a tank job at the end of last season. Some Bears fans were curious why they’d sign Peterman again.
Presumably, the Bears had lofty hopes in 2023, but chairman George McCaskey didn’t offer much hope for a playoff run this season at the league annual meeting. The Bears can still add vital pieces in the draft and free agency.
But, according to Adam Jahns of The Athletic, head coach Matt Eberflus hinted free agents were biding their time before wanting to come to Chicago. Whether that’s because of the Bears’ roster outlook or last season’s record isn’t exactly clear. We just know money alone wasn’t the sole factor in free agency:
“A lot of times these guys want to see the landscape,” Eberflus said. “Sometimes it’s after the draft. They want to see the landscape of where teams are and what they look like. That’s certainly an option. Again, we’re always trying to add players all the way through, even up to training camp. We’re always going to do that.”
One player the Bears didn’t wait until after the draft to sign was Peterman, even though the Bears are looking at other backup options in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Bears fans react to signing Peterman
Fans reacted to the news not long after the Bears kept Peterman. Most fans were surprised by the move. Here are the best takes on Twitter after Peterman cemented season No. 2 in Chicago.
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