Jason Peters isn’t the player he was 10 years ago. The Chicago Bears knew that when they pulled out off his fishing creek in Texas to help their ailing left tackle position. That said, they did know one thing. Even at 39-years old, if he’s healthy he can still be a really good blocker for them. Plenty of people were skeptical. Age is a taboo subject in the NFL. Especially for such a physical position. Nobody has forgotten how much Peters struggled last year in Philadelphia.
While his long-term viability for 2021 remains in question, people can’t argue one thing. The future Hall of Famer was excellent on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. He certainly drew the toughest assignment. Most of the snaps he played came against Trey Hendrickson, the Bengals’ prized free agent signing who had 13.5 sacks last season with the New Orleans Saints. Peters more than held his own in that matchup. He certainly set the tone for his day early in the 1st quarter with this pancake of Larry Ogunjobi.
The numbers were impressive.
In 36 pass block snaps, Peters was credited with zero pressures allowed. No sacks, no hits, and no hurries. He was an asset in the ground game two. The Bears ran the ball 10 times to the left side against Cincinnati for 46 yards. It was a complete performance for the ageless left tackle. Some though will blame him for the strip-sack Hendrickson had on Justin Fields during the game. A review of the tape though refutes that.
Peters had the defensive end blocked initially. That was when interior pressure came from the right side. Fields began to drift backward and right into the waiting arms of Hendrickson. That wasn’t on Peters. While Hendrickson had a good day in terms of getting to the QB, none of his big moments came from outright beating the left tackle. He was often rewarded more by Fields’ inexperience.
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Jason Peters won’t get much time to rest
Hendrickson was basically the appetizer for what’s to come. Next, the Bears travel to Cleveland where they get set to play the Browns. A team that employs one of the best pass rushers in the NFL in Myles Garrett. He already terrorized Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Week 1 with a sack and eight pressures. Considering the Bears have a similar offense and likely a rookie quarterback in Fields starting?
They absolutely need Jason Peters to have a good game. He and Garrett have never met in a game before. So this will be a big first encounter. The last time the defensive end ran into an aging left tackle? He ran over Andrew Whitworth for a sack and six pressures against the Rams. So Peters better be prepared for a dogfight. Then again shying away from a challenge was never his thing.
All the Bears can hope for is his best.
One thing people can say for sure is he proved some people wrong on Sunday. He can still play this game at a high level. The quickness? It’s still there. Combined with his size and obvious power, there is no reason to think he can continue to help. The big question is whether he can stay on the field.