Left tackle Jason Peters, who began his career with the Buffalo Bills nearly two decades ago, may have another season left in him.
The 42-year-old has been a free agent since his contract with the Seattle Seahawks expired, but ESPN’s Field Yates revealed on September 24 that he is pursuing an NFL comeback and a return to Seattle.
“The Seahawks hosted veteran OT Jason Peters on a free agent visit,” Yates wrote on X. “The 42-year old played in 8 games with Seattle last season.”
Jason Peters wants to return for the 21st NFL season.
Peters began his NFL career with the Bills in 2004 as an undrafted free agent, originally joining the team as a tight end. The Bills converted him to right tackle, then left tackle, where he spent five seasons and made two Pro Bowl appearances.
According to ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio, the Bills had a falling out with Peters back in 2008. Peters skipped the team’s mandated minicamp and training camp due to a contract dispute, incurring a $600,000 punishment from the organization. Peters returned to the team just before the season began, but after the season, the Bills dealt him to the Philadelphia Eagles for a first-round pick, which they used to sign centre Eric Wood.
The transaction was regarded as one of the Bills’ most significant blunders of the decade. Peters became one of the league’s greatest tackles with the Eagles, making seven additional Pro Bowl appearances, but the Bills did not make the playoffs again until 2017.
New opportunity in Seattle.
As Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk pointed out, Peters signed with the Seahawks last season to provide depth following a string of injuries, and he could have the same opportunity this season.
“Peters joined the Seahawks last season when they were dealing with injuries to tackles Abraham Lucas and Charles Cross,” according to Alper. “Lucas is currently on the physically unable to perform list and the team put George Fant on injured reserve this month, so they’re thinner than they’d like on the offensive line at the moment.”
Last season, Peters appeared in eight games, making two starts. As Alper pointed out, he has appeared in 248 regular season games, ranking him No. 59 in NFL history in terms of games played, and if he plays 12 games this year, he will move into the top 40.
Peters was mentioned as a possible possibility for the Bills ahead to the 2023 season, after offensive guard Brandon Shell unexpectedly retired during training camp. Peters stated in 2022 that he wanted to continue playing and was looking for competitive clubs or opportunities to mentor younger players.
“I just let my agent talk to those teams, and he’ll hit me and let me know who’s interested and who’s not,” Peters said in an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio. “We’re looking for an upcoming offensive line, a good club, or a playoff team. Either/or is excellent for me because it allows me to transmit the torch to some younger individuals who are wanting to improve, the new generation. Or if I join a team with some veterans, they already know how I play, and we can just go into the playoffs and make a run for another championship.”
It was unclear whether Peters would reunite with the Seahawks. Aaron Wilson reported on X that there was “no immediate deal” following the free agent visit on Tuesday.
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