There is no doubting that Jason Peters is a future Hall of Famer. But with each week of 2020 that passes, his legacy is being tarnished a little bit more. A spot of rust here, a blemish there, Peters has done nothing but cause confusion and chaos this season. But still, the Eagles refuse to move on.
Sometimes it’s hard to let go. You’ve been through so much together, fallen hopelessly in love, and found everything you could ever wish for. But things change. People change. You can’t be blamed for failing to see the Forest for the Trees, but refusing to admit what’s really happening could cost you something that’s so much better and right under your nose.
Howie Roseman tried to say his Goodbye for Jason Peters. He let the veteran walk into free agency and placed his chips on first-round draft pick Andre Dillard. That was assumed to be the end of it…until he was brought back a few months later.
Signed to play right guard (for some reason), the 38-year old came back home and was apparently holding out of signing elsewhere for that reason. A freak injury to Andre Dillard opened up a spot at his former stomping gound, but instead of simply returning, he demanded more money.
The 38-year-old had always benefitted from significant pull in the locker room, but expecting GM Howie Roseman to cough up more money just for Peters to do his job was beyond cheeky. Lane Johnson then restructured his deal so Jason Peters could have his payday.
Peters played in the opening 3 games of the season before picking up an injury (tick it off the bingo card), which allowed Jordan Mailata an opportunity to play regular-season snaps. The seventh-round pick would make the most of this, shining against teams like Pittsburgh and proving that there is some legitimacy to his drafting after all.
The 23-year-old really became a bright spot for the Eagles and allowed very little in the way of pressure, hits, or sacks. In 273 snaps against the Steelers, Ravens, Giants, and Niners, he allowed 3 sacks, 3 QB hits and 8 total pressures.
In just 47 snaps on Sunday, Jason Peters surrendered a trio of sacks and QB hits, and 7 total pressures allowed along with a career-low 41.0 PFF grade. He was pulled from the game with 3 minutes to go.
However, Doug Pederson met with reporters on Monday and doubled down on the veteran.
“Yeah, he’s our left tackle moving forward. Look, there were a lot of things, several things that sort of stood out after watching the film from a number of positions, not just one specific spot or aspect of the game, offensively.
Something that, as you’ve heard me say this before, there is enough to go around. O-line, running backs, tight ends, the quarterbacks, the receivers, a lot of work still needs to be done, but we can get it done.”
Why?
The Eagles have 3 wins this season and although they may somehow still win the NFC East, the year is likely already over. In what possible mindset does it make sense to start a 38-year-old veteran who couldn’t block someone on Twitter, over a 23-year-old prospect who is absolutely a part of the team’s future plans and could benefit massively from that playing time?
Still besotted with Jason Peters, Doug Pederson and Howie Roseman are mortgaging the future of their team, while simultaneously hurting Carson Wentz, and for what reason? To roll back the glory years and laugh about the good times?
It’s time to call a spade a spade. Jason Peters should never have been brought back in the first place, let alone gifted an upgraded contract. To think about a scenario where the team have seen what Mailata can offer and are still going to send out Peters sums up exactly why they are destined for failure. They don’t know when to let go.
Photo by John Jones/Icon Sportswire
