A year ago, Derek Carr was a sturdy quarterback, playing all 16 games despite being sacked a whopping 51 times.
But in the NFL, teams can’t always count on their starting QBs to get through a season unscathed. In fact, while Carr has been unusually blessed – he’s only missed two regular-season starts in his five-season career – his injury late in 2016, when he guided Oakland to the playoffs, helped lead to a quick postseason exit when young Connor Cook had to be pressed into service after backup Matt McGloin was hurt.
Now, as the Raiders get ready for the start of training camp in July, they expect to have veterans Mike Glennon and Nathan Peterman as Carr’s backups, and the question is, is either capable of stepping in for a game or several games in 2019 to help the Raiders win?
Certainly, Peterman – acquired late last season – hasn’t convinced anyone he’d be a winning solution. The former Buffalo Bill appeared in eight games and started four from 2017-2018 and had a 1-3 record as a starter. But in 2018 his Bills tenure came to a crashing halt when he went 0-2 and threw seven interceptions in those games and compiled a dismal QB rating of 30.7.
The 6-foot-6 Glennon offers a better chance. At 29, the former third round pick of Tampa Bay out of North Carolina State in 2013, has played in 27 games for the Bucs, Bears and Cardinals and is 6-16 as a starter. He’s thrown 35 TD passes vs. 20 interceptions, has a 60.9 percent career completion percentage and an 84.0 QB rating.
Certainly, the backup QB situation on the team doesn’t look strong, as noted by Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report, who recently ranked the Raiders’ backup QB situation as among the worst in the NFL going into training camp. He ranked Oakland 24th.
Wrote Gagnon: "Glennon isn’t a bad backup. He completed all but six of 21 passes last season in Arizona, he’s got plenty of starting experience and he should be in his prime at age 29. But it’s worth noting he’s on his fourth team in as many seasons and that Peterman was taking second-team reps during the late stages of the offseason program.
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"These backups have a relatively high ceiling but also a fairly low floor."
Both general manager Mike Mayock and head coach Jon Gruden have praised Glennon in the past. After the Bucs picked Glennon in the draft, Mayock said he had terrific "arm talent" and potential despite some inconsistencies in college. And, while writing for ESPN in 2013, Gruden said Glennon had "that perfect combination of size and arm strength."
Despite their previous thoughts, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Raiders bring in another quarterback at the start of training camp or before the regular-season opener to challenge Glennon and Peterman and give the team more depth before the 16-game schedule begins.
