41-year-old offensive tackle Jason Peters is not currently on an NFL roster, but the nine-time Pro Bowler recently said that he does want to return to the league for his 19th professional season. Obviously, at his advanced age, Peters is no longer the great player he once was, but he’s still capable of helping out in the right role. Ideally, Peters would backup a young tackle and provide mentorship while also being able to step in at a moment’s notice. Taking a cursory glance around the league, these five teams make the most sense as potential fits.
Nine-time Pro Bowl OT Jason Peters, who is a free agent, said today he still plans to play this season in what would be his 20th NFL season. Peters started his NFL career as an undrafted free agent in 2004 in Buffalo.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 18, 2023
5 Teams That Could Sign Jason Peters
New Orleans Saints
2022 first-round pick Trevor Penning has been one of the stars of the Saints preseason, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will translate to the regular season. The fact off the matter is that Penning is still a major unknown that needs to prove he’s able to stay healthy and hold his own against the very best the NFL has to offer. Penning should be the Week 1 starter, but the Saints need a better insurance policy in the event he’s not up to the challenge. Jason Peters can be that insurance policy while also providing valuable mentorship for the youngster.
Carolina Panthers
On the complete opposite side of the coin, former sixth-overall pick Ikem Ekwonu is having a preseason to forget. The Panthers offensive line has been nothing short of a disaster so far, and Ekwonu has yet to make the second-year jump after a promising rookie campaign. As it is, Carolina has arguably the worst group of receiving talent in the league, and if the offensive line can’t hold up their end of the bargain, then rookie quarterback Bryce Young won’t stand a chance. Jason Peterson cannot singlehandedly save this unit, but he can help improve it.
Kansas City Chiefs
Four of Kansas City’s five starters on the offensive line are among the very best at their respective positions. The fifth position, however, is a major question mark. If the season started today, Donovan Smith would be responsible for protecting the blind side of Patrick Mahomes, and that is not a good thing. Smith is coming off a terrible season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and if his play doesn’t improve, then the Chiefs will have to turn to completely untested options in Lucas Niang or Prince Tega Wanogho. Even in his advanced age, Jason Peters is probably better than those two, and the Chiefs know better than anyone just how important it is to have reliable offensive tackles.
Denver Broncos
Blocking for Russell Wilson is never easy, as his penchant for improvisation generally makes offensive linemen look worse than they are. With that being said, the Denver Broncos offensive line was bad last year, and they use some more support at the left tackle position. Garrett Bolles didn’t exactly light the world on fire, and the team can save over $11 million in cap space by releasing him. Having Jason Peters compete with Cameron Fleming for the starting job could be a cost-effective way to get essentially the same result at the left tackle position.
Los Angeles Chargers
When healthy, Rashawn Slater is one of the best left tackles in football. However, the former first-round pick missed the vast majority of the 2022 season, so a full return to health is never guaranteed. If Slater suffered another injury, the team would likely move starting right guard Jamaree Salyer to tackle, just like they did in 2022. However, doing this will create a major weakness at guard, so instead of making two positions weaker, they could sign Jason Peters to be Slater’s primary backup. The present-day version of Peters is nowhere near as good as Slater, but he can be an adequate starter and his presence will allow Los Angeles to maintain a strong interior offensive line.
Main Photo: Geoff Burke – USA Today Sports
