Earlier today, we found out that after Jason Peters had told the Eagles he was going to play Left Tackle, the team gave him a bump in pay anyway. It was kind of expected given how bleak their other options were and how loyal Jason Peters has been over the years. But as we know, the Eagles cap picture isn’t pretty. Luckily for them, one man stepped forward – Lane Johnson.
Franchise RT Lane Johnson signed a four-year deal worth $72M in the heart of last season and was set to make over $7M in base salary this year. That money has been converted to a signing bonus in order to create the necessary room to pay Jason Peters.
Firstly, this is an incredibly selfless thing to do. While Johnson will still get the same amount of money, restructuring your deal for the benefit of your teammate is not only wholesome, but a massive sign of unity within the locker room. It’s not the first time this has happened in the Doug Pederson era, with several players reworking their deals to give Nick Foles a handsome reward for his Super Bowl 52 efforts.
What is a little concerning is that Johnson’s pay cut could’ve taken a sizable chunk out of next year’s $84M cap debt had it been carried over. Instead, it goes to Jason Peters…which is fine but Johnson’s contract was among the larger ones on the team and therefore the easiest to cut into. It will make things that extra bit harder this offseason.
Overall, there really isn’t much to complain about for Eagles fans. Jason Peters will start at left tackle on Sunday because Lane Johnson’s selflessness enabled the pay cut. Did someone say brotherly love?
Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire
