Just when it looked like the Eagles had moved on from Jason Peters, The Bodyguard is back โฆ but not at his regular position.
The Eagles re-signed Peters on Tuesday morning. Several league sources have informed me thatย Peters is returning on a one-year contract to play right guardย and not left tackle. He will replace the injured Brandon Brooks, who is out for the season.ย
Peters' one-year deal is for $3 million and could increase to $6 million through bonuses, according to NBC10's John Clark.
That means that 2019 1st-round pick Andre Dillard will be the starting left tackle this season.
The Eagles and Peters had kept in touch all offseason and neither side felt there was any rush to get a deal done. Iโm told Peters even turned down a couple of offers from other teams because he always felt he would be coming back to Philadelphia.ย
The need to have the 38-year-old future Hall of Famer return became even more imperative after Brooks, a three-time Pro Bowler, tore his left Achilles in June. Some believed that general manager Howie Roseman would bring in a free agent guard like former New Orleans Saint Larry Warford to fill the void, but after much in-house discussion the Eaglesโ brain trust came to the conclusion that even though Peters has never played guard in the NFL, he has the athleticism and smarts to make the transition.
And because Peters is so highly respected within the organization, is a great locker room leader and teacher on the field, it was unanimous to bring him back. It also gives the Eagles the flexibility of having Peters play the role of a swing tackle if they needed to move him back to the outside.
Peters has played 11 seasons for the Eagles, starting 140 games at left tackle. He has made seven of his nine Pro Bowls as a member of the Eagles. Peters will remain the longest-tenured member of the team, having arrived in a trade in 2009. While Peters entered the league as an undrafted tight end in Buffalo, he has become a Hall of Fame offensive tackle.
Matt Pryor, who filled in for Brooks in the playoff loss to Seattle last season, played well in that game and gives the Eagles quality depth at the guard position.
Late last season, Peters said he was willing to move to guard in 2020 if the birds needed him to. Now he gets his chance.
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