Jason Peters agreed to a one-year deal with the Chicago Bears last Saturday. It came as a surprise to many. Mostly because it meant the status of rookie Teven Jenkins was worse than feared. Sure enough, the 2nd round pick underwent back surgery later that week. Peters was brought in as “competition” for the left tackle job. Anybody with common sense knows he is a stopgap to fill the void left by Jenkins.
There is no denying Peters’ portfolio. The guy is a six-time All-Pro, a Super Bowl champion, and a no-doubt future Hall of Famer. There really isn’t anything left for him to accomplish in this league. Yet here he is, joining a new team for the first time since 2009. What makes it even stranger is the fact he’s 39-years old. Some may think that isn’t an overly big thing these days. Not with Tom Brady about to turn 44 down in Tampa Bay.
Rest assured, this is not normal.
Especially for offensive tackles. Ready for a crazy stat? In NFL history dating back to 1936, a total of 6,485 offensive linemen have been drafted into the league. In all of those picks, a grand total of six managed to make it to their 39th birthday while still playing in the league. Six.
- Bruce Matthews
- Jackie Slater
- Lomas Brown
- Jeff Van Note
- Ray Brown
- Andrew Whitworth
Only three of them were tackles. Peters is about to become the fourth. That is an insane accomplishment. A testament not only to his toughness both mentally and physically but also to his incredible talent. The obvious question for Bears fans is can he deliver a solid year at that age?
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Jason Peters is battling against a concerning trend
It’s actually quite remarkable how many great linemen seemed to sense it was time to hang it up around age 38. Based on the results upon reaching 39, it is easy to understand. None of the aforementioned tackles who reached it had the best overall season. Brown didn’t even start any games that year, playing spectator on that great 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers team. Whitworth missed seven games at 39 with a knee injury. Slater missed half the season with health issues during that year for the Rams.
This is what Jason Peters is up against. The human body can only take so much before it starts breaking down. No tackle has ever played a full season in the NFL at age 39. Considering he himself missed 11 games over the past two years? It isn’t hard to understand why nobody around the league believes he is going to make it a full 17 in 2021. This could make the presence of Larry Borom crucial.
The 5th round pick has impressed in training camp.
Enough to where the Bears were willing to shift him from his original spot at right tackle over to left tackle. That is where he will work from moving forward. Presuming history holds true with Peters, then it stands to reason that Borom could see considerable action this season. That said, the longtime veteran has defied the odds before. He is still capable of turning in a strong year.
