Nathan Peterman is a somewhat controversial figure in western New York.

Some feel as though Peterman was the best quarterback on the Buffalo Bills roster in 2017 and that he could develop into a starter given some time. Others think he’s an average quarterback who is a career backup at best.

Peterman was often talked about in the 2017 season, but the hype surrounding the 24-year-old has died down a bit in recent months. Instead, the hype now surrounds Josh Allen, the Bills’ shiny new quarterback who was selected with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Allen is Buffalo’s quarterback of the future, but he may not be its quarterback of the present. Bills coach Sean McDermott has crafted a development plan for Allen, and the Wyoming product worked with the third team for the majority of spring workouts. While he could still earn the starting job, he’s not the favorite to win the competition, which is largely between Peterman and the recently signed AJ McCarron.

Peterman appears to have the upper hand in this battle. ESPN’s Mike Rodak thinks the Pitt product has been Buffalo’s “surprise offseason standout,” writing that he “looked sharp” throughout OTAs and minicamp.

The 2017 fifth-round pick was an afterthought at best and a laughingstock at worst after his five-interception performance against the Chargers last season, but Peterman should be considered a serious contender for the starting job in Buffalo. He has rotated daily with AJ McCarron to lead the first-team offense, with rookie Josh Allen starting in minicamp to see periodic time with that group. Peterman has looked sharp, including Tuesday at minicamp, when he completed 10 of 13 passes in 11-on-11 drills and ended practice with a touchdown.

On Tuesday, Peterman took the majority of the reps with the first-team offense. AP writer Mark Ludwiczak tweeted that Peterman had “the best performance by any Bills QB this spring” that day. He saw even more time with the first string throughout the rest of minicamp, and he’ll likely be the first quarterback on the team’s “rep chart” at the starting of training camp.

If Peterman continues to impress in offseason workouts, the starting job may be his to lose. Unless Allen can prove that he’s the best quarterback on the roster at this time, it will be either Peterman or McCarron under center for the team next season, barring any major moves.