On Monday, Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell noted that the team was looking for a proven, veteran quarterback to fill out their room behind starter Jared Goff and established backup Kyle Allen.
“We’re looking for somebody, that if we need them, we know they can run the show,” Campbell said. “They can run the offense, they can process the information—more than, can we find a guy to develop that’s unknown, all of those. I’d rather have a guy, somebody that certainly if we’re familiar with or somebody you just know they get in the game, they’re going to get you in the right play, be smart with the football, and all of those things.”
On Wednesday, with the players off, it appears the Lions began that search. According to the transaction wire, the Lions hosted five players for a tryout, including veteran quarterbacks C.J. Beathard and Nathan Peterman.
Beathard is entering his ninth NFL season after being drafted in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Over his career, he’s made 32 game appearances and made 13 total starts. However, over the past four years, he’s only thrown a total of 66 passes—most of which came in a sole start for the Jacksonville Jaguars back in 2023. To his credit, he completed 17-of-24 passes for 178 yards in a 26-0 win over the Panthers. Beathard failed to make the Jaguars roster in 2024, then signed with an injury-riddled Dolphins team before returning to the Jaguars in November. Beathard did not sign with a team this offseason, but had several tryouts.
Peterman is also entering his ninth season, as he was part of Beathard’s same draft class (fifth round to the Bills). His starting experience is limited to just five total games, the last of which was a loss for the Chicago Bears in 2022. Last year, Peterman spent most of training camp with the Raiders, didn’t make the roster, and sat on the Falcons’ practice squad for the season. Like Beathard, Peterman did not spend any of 2025 with an NFL team. He has worked out for the Jets this offseason.
The other three players who tried out were all receivers: Malik Cunningham (former Louisville QB), Jerjuan Newton, and Kendric Pryor. The three receivers combined have played in just three cumulative games. Newton is the only rookie of the bunch. He went undrafted out of Toledo and spent training camp with the Broncos. He caught five passes for 26 yards in the preseason.
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