Nathan Peterman, Jake Fromm and 7 other quarterbacks who are surprisingly still on NFL rosters

Thanks to relaxed practice squad rules it's never been easier to carve out a long NFL career. Granted, it's still pretty dang hard, but there are plenty of "let's remember some guys" types still lobbing passes on the practice field and holding clipboards each Sunday.

Some of these players are guys you'd be at least somewhat comfortable with taking snaps in a game that could decide a playoff race. Others are Nathan Peterman or Tim Boyle.

Last year, Joe Flacco emerged from the ether to push the Cleveland Browns to the postseason. Joshua Dobbs briefly made the post-Kirk Cousins Minnesota Vikings a threat. And P.J. Walker, uh tried very hard.

With the 2024 NFL season on the horizon, let's take a look at the passers who are still holding on to their pro football dreams, whether that's as a viable understudy or a useful scout offense leader who can throw a scare in someone's starting defense.

1. Nathan Peterman, Atlanta Falcons (practice squad)

If Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. are hurt this season, it's Peterman time. Some game action in the NFC South would give him the chance to raise his career 39.4 passer rating. For reference, firing 20 straight passes into the turf would net you a 39.6. This is Peterman's eighth season in the NFL.

2. Josh Johnson, Baltimore Ravens

An injury to Lamar Jackson would give way to one of the league's oldest players: a 38-year-old Johnson. In his professional career, the former University of San Diego standout -- a product of Jim Harbaugh's first college head coaching gig! -- has spent time with the following teams:

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• San Francisco 49ers

• Sacramento Mountain Lions

• Cleveland Browns

• Cincinnati Bengals

• New York Jets

• Indianapolis Colts

• Buffalo Bills

• Baltimore Ravens

• New York Giants

• Houston Texans

• Oakland Raiders

• Washington

• San Diego Fleet

• Detroit Lions

• Los Angeles Wildcats

• Denver Broncos

3. Jake Fromm, Detroit Lions (practice squad)

The Bills drafted the former Georgia star in 2020 but he's only made three regular season appearances since then. All came in 2021 in relief of an injured Daniel Jones and a benched Mike Glennon. He's 0-2 as a starter and, like Peterman, has a career passer rating under the 0-for-20 benchmark of 39.6 (he's at 38.9 thanks in large part to a 45 percent completion rate).

4. Carson Wentz, Kansas City Chiefs

Wentz stunk as Washington's starting quarterback in 2022, then lingered in free agency well into the 2023 season before the Los Angeles Rams came calling. He acquitted himself well enough in a Week 18 garbage time start vs. the San Francisco 49ers' non-essential players to earn a chance to chase a second Super Bowl ring, this time behind Patrick Mahomes -- known to Philadelphians as "the poor man's Nick Foles."

5. Tim Boyle, Miami Dolphins (practice squad)

A man with these college stats:

Is entering his seventh year as an NFL player. There has never been a better reason to believe in yourself.

6. Kyle Allen, Pittsburgh Steelers

The man waiting behind the Russell Wilson-Justin Fields quarterback battle is Allen, who started 13 games for the Carolina Panthers as Cam Newton's backup. He's been a useful, if underwhelming, backup in the years since but was important enough to head coach Mike Tomlin's plans that he earned a full roster spot instead of risking a place on the practice squad.

7. Kyle Trask, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Trask was drafted in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft as Tom Brady's potential successor. Instead, he was beaten out for a starting job by Baker Mayfield. He's thrown 10 regular season passes in three years, completing three.

8. Mason Rudolph, Tennessee Titans

It took Rudolph nearly five years to correct his Pittsburgh legacy, rising from third string to starter late in 2023. His efficient play helped guide the Steelers to an unlikely playoff bid, but he underwhelmed in a Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills. He opted for a change of scenery by backing up Will Levis in Nashville this fall.

9. Jeff Driskel, Washington Commanders

The Commanders have two guys who fit this bill, as Driskel is the third string quarterback behind Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota. Mariota started 13 games for the Atlanta Falcons in 2022 before the club moved on to Desmond Ridder, but otherwise hasn't started since being replaced by Ryan Tannehill in the 2019 Tennessee Titans lineup.

The former Florida and Louisiana Tech passer's best ability may be his availability, as he's been counted on to fill in for shaky and injured quarterbacks fairly regularly since being drafted in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Granted, that's led to a 1-10 record as a starter but, you know, he's around.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Nathan Peterman, Jake Fromm and 7 other quarterbacks who are surprisingly still on NFL rosters