Jason Peters is back with the Philadelphia Eagles, as the franchise announced they signed the 38-year-old former Pro Bowl left tackle to a one-year deal Tuesday (worth up to $6 million and $3 million is guaranteed, per ESPN's Adam Schefter). There is a catch in the roster addition, as the franchise announced in the signing Peters is listed at guard -- not left tackle, the position he dominated for over a decade with the franchise.
The Eagles have a void at guard after Pro Bowler Brandon Brooks was lost for the season when he tore his Achilles in rehab from a shoulder injury last month. Matt Pryor was considered the front runner for the job, but Peters returning to the roster made too much sense -- even if he's playing a new position.
Peters has hinted at the possibility of switching to guard before, saying he'd move to a new position to obtain his goal of playing until he was 40 years old. The nine-time Pro Bowl left tackle has played the right side of the offensive line in the past, as a right tackle for the Buffalo Bills in 2004 and 2005 before making the switch over to left tackle for the next decade.
With Peters on the roster, the Eagles also have much-needed veteran depth at the tackle position. Behind starters Andre Dillard and Lane Johnson, the Eagles have Jordan Mailata and Prince Tega-Wanogho as the top backups at the position. Mailata has never played an NFL snap and has been hindered with two separate back injuries in the past two seasons while Tega-Wanogho is a 2020 sixth-round pick who hasn't had the benefit of learning the system with live reps in minicamp due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Johnson hinted at a Peters return for months, saying back in April he "wouldn't rule it out" and sent a cryptic tweet Monday indicating the Eagles signed an offensive lineman. Given his relationship with Peters, connecting the dots wasn't difficult.
BIG week ahead! #pavethelane #flyeaglesfly
— Lane Johnson (@LaneJohnson65) July 13, 2020
Since the Eagles traded for Peters in 2009, he has made seven Pro Bowls and four All-Pro teams, solidifying himself as one of the best offensive linemen of his era. Peters has nine total Pro Bowl appearances in his 16 seasons with the Eagles and Bills. Five of the eight tackles with nine-plus Pro Bowls have made the Pro Football Hall of Fame (with Joe Thomas sure to join them in the coming years).
Peters begins the new chapter of his career at guard, sandwiched between Jason Kelce and Jonson on the right side of the Eagles' offensive line. The Eagles were right to give this Peters experiment a shot, keeping one of the best offensive lines of the NFL in place and potentially making the right side of that unit even stronger.
