Eagles OL Jason Peters wants raise to move back to left tackle
PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Jason Peters is seeking more money before moving from right guard to left tackle, sources confirmed, adding some drama to the issue of protecting quarterback Carson Wentz's blind side just two weeks before the start of the regular season.
Peters, 38, was re-signed to a one-year, $3 million deal this offseason to play right guard after Pro Bowler Brandon Brooks was lost to an Achilles tear.
Andre Dillard, the team's 2019 first-round pick, was expected to take over at left tackle for Peters, who had manned the post for the previous 11 seasons, building a Hall of Fame-worthy résumé in the process. But Dillard tore his biceps in a training camp practice Thursday and is expected to miss the season.
The expectation was that Peters would slide back to his natural position, but he stayed at guard during Saturday's practice while Matt Pryor filled in at left tackle.
"Whatever business they've got going on, that's between them," Pryor said of the Eagles and Peters. "Me, whatever opportunity I get, I'm about to take."
The Philadelphia Inquirer first reported that Peters was looking for a pay increase.
The Eagles were without Wentz for Sunday's practice. He is considered day-to-day with a soft tissue injury. His injury is very minor and he'll be back in a couple of days, a sourcetold ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Also, rookie wide receiver Jalen Reagor is undergoing an MRI on his shoulder after injuring it during Sunday's practice, a source told Schefter. The Eagles do not believe the injury is serious but are not certain, leading to the MRI.
A sixth-round pick by the Eagles in 2018, Pryor made his first career start in January's playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks, filling in for an injured Brooks at right guard. He has been training at tackle this offseason.
Pryor, Jordan Mailata and rookies Jack Driscoll and Prince Tega Wanogho are the other current options to play left tackle aside from Peters. They have zero NFL regular-season starts between them.
"In regard to left tackle, Jason Peters is obviously in the conversation," coach Doug Pederson said. "We do have some young players -- Jordan Mailata, Matt Pryor, Jack Driscoll, who's a rookie, obviously, but playing some tackle for us. But we've got a couple of guys now, including Jason Peters, that we want to look at over at the left side. J.P. has done an outstanding job coming in, playing the right guard spot. We're going to continue to look at him there as well, but we have some options."
Peters is scheduled to make a base salary of $1.8 million. He has incentives in his contract that could make his deal worth up to $6 million, but nothing that is tied to a transition from guard to tackle.
He is regarded as one of the best tackles of his era, being named to nine Pro Bowls and earning two first-team All-Pro nods over 16 seasons with the Buffalo Bills and Eagles.
