Eagles left tackle Jason Peters told reporters after Philadelphia’s loss to the Seahawks that he will not retire and plans to return in 2020 for his 17th NFL season, according to Eagles Insiders Adam Caplan and Geoff Mosher. Peters started 13 games this season and remained one of the best offensive tackles in football, but considering he will turn 38 in a few weeks, retirement would not have been a surprise.
The Eagles would surely welcome Peters back, but set for free agency he will be free to sign with any team. It’s hard to foresee him leaving Philadelphia, but another team with cap space could make a run at the veteran tackle.
Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, pointed out that another veteran along the Eagles offensive line, Jason Kelce, was unwilling to make the same statement. Garafolo added that Kelce “was the last player out of uniform” and “Didn’t look like he wanted to take it off.” Kelce will talk to reporters tomorrow and Garafolo’s report seems to suggest he is leaning towards retirement. If he does, the Eagles will already need to replace one starter and may be even more inclined to keep Peters in the fold.
Just like Darren Sproles hanging on too long, Philly will take you back but probably wishes you would hang up. You have not been playing good ball as of late, so I’m not sure what you’ll bring next season.
Clearly the writer of this article did not watch a single second of Peters play this year. When he wasn’t getting blown away by speed rushers, he was getting muscled back into Wentz’s pocket. Let’s not even get started on his guaranteed 2-3 penalties every game, between holding and false starts. I appreciate everything Peters did in Philadelphia for his career. No brainer 1st ballot HOF, but he’s done! Unfortunately the player is always the last to realize it. Please Philadelphia, thank him for his decade of service and let him walk. Dillard showed he can play at this level. Let him have the entire off-season, and regular season to show what he has.
They actually interviewed him at his locker and he said he’ll definitely be back next year in Philly if they’ll have him, if not elsewhere and may play 2+. He was a great player, but I’m so sick of hearing about he’s a Hall of Famer yet watching him jump offside constantly and then watching him hobble off with some other ailment. He is so unreliable at this point and they draft3d his replacement, so it’s time to move on.
1. He’s not a HOF from this year. He’s a first ballot HOF due to his years in Buffalo, up to about 2016-17. You do realize in order to get into the HOF, they grade the player on the entirety of their workload and not simply how they fared in their final year, right..?
2. It’s a bit bizarre you talk to him directly, as if he’s reading your post on here – your first post.
3. OL don’t “jump offside.” When they’re set then move early, it’s a false start. But I agree that he likely will not be the starting LT for the Eagles in 2020. Howie doesn’t spend a first-rounder on Dillard to not use him. The only way he’s back is if he moves to LG and Seumalo moves to C, if/when Kelce retires.
You realize that Peters played in Buffalo for 4 seasons (the last being 2008) and has been in Philly for the past 11 seasons, right?
Thanks Tom from Philly, appreciate you sharing your amazing knowledge.
The Eagles most surely will not welcome him back. JP has been an amazing player, but he’s past his prime, is injury prone, and Philadelphia drafted his replacement in the 1st round last off season.
It was almost poetic in a macabre way to watch him struggle so much against competent pass rushers. How the writer doesn’t know the Birds traded up for Dillard and even exclusively played him at LT shows it’s all but certain Peters will not be the starting LT next year. But that doesn’t mean he won’t be a starting member of the offensive line. If Kelce is truly going to hang up his cleats, that means Seumalo is the heir-apparent at center. Who plays left guard? If he’s willing to take a moderate, if slightly bloated contract to play LG, I imagine Jason Peters wouldn’t be a bad compromise for both fans and front office members. Especially since the Birds likely don’t want to spend any more major assets/cap space on the OL for a bit; surely not as much as they “spent” in 2019. First, they gave up a third-round pick to move up and their first-round pick for LT Andre Dillard. Then, they made Lane Johnson the highest paid RT by a country mile. Then, they proceeded to do the same with Brandon Brooks. A two-year deal with Peters to play LG, provided he can still pull when healthy, with only the first year guaranteed seems like a fair compromise, especially if it doesn’t go past, say, the $7.5M per year mark, $15M total – again, with only the first partially or fully guaranteed.
Peters was terrible this year and there’s no reason for the Eagles to bring him back. Let him play for another team if he insists on continuing but there’s no reason for the Eagles to keep him with their cap situation
If he’d come back and mentor the young lineman then ok but no way he deserves another deal worth any more than 3mil. Being nostalgic is going to cost way too much. Alshon, Nelly, and Jenkins can go. First two don’t trust Wentz and Jenkins isn’t worth his age other than locker room presence and maybe one more year of outstanding defense. Kelce goes and Peters leaves/lowers cap hit and we can get better corners and wide receivers. And for the love of god move Mills to safety. Can’t get burnt fifteen yards away.