Frederick Adam Peters (born May 24, 1979) is an American football executive who is the general manager (GM) of the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). His NFL career began as a scout in 2003, spending six seasons with the New England Patriots and five with the Denver Broncos prior to directing the college scouting department for the latter in the mid-2010s, helping build a roster that won Super Bowl 50 in 2015.
Washington Commanders | |
---|---|
Position: | General manager |
Personal information | |
Born: | Mountain View, California, U.S. | May 24, 1979
Career information | |
High school: | Monta Vista (Cupertino, California) |
College: |
|
Career history | |
As an executive: | |
| |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Executive profile at PFR |
Peters joined the San Francisco 49ers in 2017, working closely with GM John Lynch first as vice president of player personnel and later as assistant GM prior to being named Commanders GM in 2024. Peters is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area and played football at West Valley College and UCLA before earning a psychology degree with the latter.
Frederick Adam Peters was born on May 24, 1979, in Mountain View, California, and raised in nearby Cupertino.[1] He attended Monta Vista High School, earning all-conference honors in football (tight end) and baseball (left fielder and first baseman) before enrolling at West Valley College, a junior college in Saratoga, California, in 1997.[1] He was a tight end and team captain for the West Valley Vikings, earning two All-Coast Conference honors before transferring to the UCLA Bruins in 1999 as a reserve defensive end.[1][2] Peters decided to stop playing football midway through his time at UCLA, quoting teammates such as DeShaun Foster as being "bigger, stronger, faster, and better than me in everything".[3] He graduated with a psychology degree in 2002, working as a graduate assistant in football operations with the Bruins as a way to remain in the sport.[1][3]
Peters' career in scouting began following a visit by New England Patriots executives Scott Pioli and Jason Licht to UCLA in 2002. Peters, substituting for his boss who was out of town, provided them film and other information on the school's NFL draft prospects.[3] Pioli, impressed by his football acumen, recruited him to join the team in 2003.[4] The Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVIII and XXXIX during his first two years with the team, where he worked in a department that included future general managers such as Thomas Dimitroff, Bob Quinn, Jon Robinson, and Nick Caserio.[5] He left for the Denver Broncos upon Patriots assistant Josh McDaniels being named Broncos head coach in 2009, working as a regional and national scout prior to being promoted to assistant director of college scouting in July 2014.[6][7]
Peters was further promoted to director of college scouting in 2016, with Denver appearing in Super Bowl XLVIII and winning Super Bowl 50 prior to joining the San Francisco 49ers in January 2017 as the vice president of player personnel.[8][9] He was recruited to the 49ers by newly-hired general manager (GM) John Lynch, who had no prior front office experience but had wanted to work with after being introduced while attending pre-draft meetings as a guest of the Broncos the previous year.[10][11] Peters was promoted to 49ers assistant GM in February 2021,[12] with the team appearing in four NFC Championship Games and Super Bowls LIV and LVIII during his tenure.[13][14]
Peters was hired as GM of the Washington Commanders in January 2024,[8] with him hiring head coach Dan Quinn and overhauling a roster that included selecting quarterback Jayden Daniels with the second pick in the draft.[15][16][17]
Peters is married and has two daughters.[8] He grew up a fan of the 49ers, citing former tight end Brent Jones as inspiration to play the position.[18]
National scout Adam Peters received the title of assistant director of college scouting.