Following the Chicago Bears’ preseason win in Week 1, unexpected news dropped when they reached an agreement with veteran tackle Jason Peters. It was a surprise both because up until then people thought Teven Jenkins would return and also because Peters is 39-years old. To date, he’s only the fourth tackle in modern NFL history to be on a team at that age. Sure enough, Jenkins underwent back surgery just days later. That spelled things out pretty clearly.
The Bears had brought the former six-time All-Pro as an emergency measure. Somebody with a proven track record who knows their coaching staff that can hopefully fill the void at left tackle for this season. A tall order for somebody his age. Plenty of experts have already said this was a head-scratching move by the Bears. Peters isn’t the player he was a few years ago. He’s a liability in pass protection and can’t stay healthy.
Are those criticisms fair?
Yes. However, it doesn’t mean they are destined to hold true in 2021. Logic doesn’t always apply to elite athletes like Peters. When healthy last season, there were still glimpses of the dominant block he’s been for over a decade. He is healthy now and insisted during his press conference this week that his quickness is still there. Something new teammate Jimmy Graham agrees with.
He mentioned Peters (unprompted) during his own press conference on Thursday, indicating the veteran has been an instant boost to the offensive line. Don’t be fooled. The big man still has gas left in the tank.
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The Bears have indicated the job doesn’t belong to Peters yet. He is competing with rookie Larry Borom for the job, who has looked better than expected. Even so, common sense says barring something unexpected that Peters will be next to Cody Whitehair on opening night.
Jason Peters’ biggest obstacle is one of conditioning
Remember he arrived at Bears training camp far later than anybody else. While he has kept himself in shape during the offseason, players usually need a full camp to reach peak condition for the regular season. So he has a lot of ground to make up. That is why the team is going to give him some snaps in the preseason finale on Saturday. It’ll be a chance to get some needed reps, both to knock off the rust and continue working his body into shape.
Chicago still has just under three weeks before the opener. That is plenty of time to get him up to speed. Jason Peters has done this so many times before. Once he has a decent idea of what the system demands, the rest should be easy for him. Even if he is just 75% of the player he was, that is still a good NFL tackle. If the Bears can get that for most of the season, they can call it a big win.
He can also be a huge benefit to Borom.
The rookie has the physical tools to play in the NFL. What he needs to learn is the complex details of how to play his position the right way. Getting to learn from a guy who has a ring and will soon have a gold jacket is absolutely priceless.