Jason Raynard Peters (born January 22, 1982) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wit ...
offensive tackle for the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divis ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ma ...
(NFL). He played
college football at
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the ...
and signed with the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division ...
as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
in 2004, originally as a
tight end
The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense (sports), offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide ...
. He was later traded to the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
in 2009 and spent the next twelve seasons playing for them before joining the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
in 2021.
College career
After starring in both football and basketball at
Queen City High School (TX), Peters attended the
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and the largest university in the state. Founded as Arkansas ...
and played for the
Arkansas Razorbacks football
The Arkansas Razorbacks football program represents the University of Arkansas in the sport of American football. The Razorbacks compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Weste ...
team. Originally recruited as a
defensive tackle, he spent his freshman campaign as a reserve defensive lineman. He was then moved to the
tight end
The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense (sports), offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide ...
spot, where he caught four passes for 37 yards as a sophomore. In his junior season, Peters registered 21 catches for 218 yards and four touchdowns, which earned him a second-team All-SEC selection.
Professional career
2004 NFL Draft
A fairly athletic tight end at more than 320 pounds, Peters was seen as "a clone of former
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...
giant
Orson Mobley."
Since he registered far more knockdown blocks (61) than catches (21) in his last year in college, Peters spent much time prior to the
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24–25, 2004 at the Theater a ...
working O-line drills, preparing himself to be an offensive tackle for the NFL. He was projected as an early fourth round pick by ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twice ...
'', but eventually went undrafted.
Buffalo Bills
Peters was picked up by the Buffalo Bills as an
undrafted rookie
A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year).
In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
in April 2004. He was cut then re-signed to the Bills'
practice squad. He was signed to the active roster on November 12, 2004.
Peters made his mark on
special teams
In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
as a wedge buster on
kickoffs and as a blocking tight end, while beginning to learn to play
offensive tackle under the tutelage of offensive line coach
Jim McNally
Jim McNally (born December 13, 1943) is an American retired football coach, whose 28-year professional coaching career in the National Football League (NFL) included tenures with the Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers and New York Giants bef ...
.
In 2006, Peters beat out former
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
star
Mike Williams for starting right tackle on the Bills. Peters was rewarded for his play, signing a 5-year, $15 million contract extension with the Bills in the offseason. In 2007, Peters began the season entrenched as the starting right tackle. After Week 7, the Bills reshuffled their offensive line to better protect
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
J. P. Losman. Peters was moved to left tackle, replacing
Mike Gandy
Michael Joseph Gandy (born January 3, 1979) is a former American football offensive tackle. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft and later played for the Buffalo Bills and Arizona Cardinals. He played coll ...
who moved inside to left guard.
After the
2006 season, ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twice ...
s
Paul Zimmerman debated selecting Peters to his All-Pro team. "I was rooting for the Bills' Jason Peters, whom I would have loved to pick, but he isn't there yet. Very athletic, but not enough of a roughneck."
Peters allowed only two sacks in that season and was not called for a holding penalty.
In 2007, Peters saw his best years as a pro, and was selected to start at left tackle on the AFC Pro-Bowl team. As offensive line coach
Jim McNally
Jim McNally (born December 13, 1943) is an American retired football coach, whose 28-year professional coaching career in the National Football League (NFL) included tenures with the Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers and New York Giants bef ...
put it, "His ability is limitless." He injured his groin in a game against the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisio ...
, and was unable to attend the Pro Bowl game. He was the first Bills offensive lineman to make the Pro Bowl since
Ruben Brown
Ruben Parnell Brown (born February 13, 1972) is a former American football guard who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills 14th overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college footba ...
in 2003.
Joe Thomas was selected to replace him in the Pro Bowl.
At the beginning of the 2008 offseason Peters was unhappy with his contract and did not report to any of the Bills offseason workouts including the teams' mandatory minicamps. Head Coach
Dick Jauron said that he would be fined and would even be taken out of the lineup if he did not show. Peters reportedly wanted a contract between $8 million and $11.5 million per season in a contract extension. On July 25, 2008, the NFL Network's Adam Schefter reported Peters would not report to the Bills' training camp at Saint John Fisher College in Pittsford, N.Y. Schefter also said Peters was willing to sit out the entire season to get a new and improved contract. On August 20, 2008, training camp for the Bills came to an end with Peters being absent for the whole camp and all of the preseason games. On September 5, 2008, Peters ended his holdout and returned to the Buffalo Bills. Peters was fined over $560,000 for missing all of training camp, but if he had missed a regular season game, he would have been fined $191,000 for each game he missed.
Peters was selected as the starting left tackle in the
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
and was a Second-team
All-Pro
All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list t ...
although his 2008 season was subpar and some thought the Pro Bowl selection was dubious. In 2006, he allowed only two sacks and allowed six sacks in 2007.
Philadelphia Eagles
Peters had been unhappy with his contract and had not been attending the Bills’ offseason activities after staging a holdout in 2008 during training camp. On April 17, 2009, the Buffalo Bills traded Peters to the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
and received their first round pick (28th overall, used to select center
Eric Wood) and fourth round pick (121st overall, used to select tight end
Shawn Nelson) in the
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 25 and 26, 2009. ...
and a conditional sixth round pick in the
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, with the fir ...
(used to select linebacker
Danny Batten
Danny Batten (born December 8, 1987) is a former American football defensive end. He was selected in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills out of South Dakota State. He was the first Jackrabbit to be drafted since Steve Hei ...
).
On April 17, 2009, the Philadelphia Eagles announced they had signed Peters to a six-year, $60 million contract for him to remain in Philadelphia through 2014. The Eagles opted to void Peters' previous contract he signed with the Bills that had two years remaining.
Head coach
Andy Reid
Andrew Walter Reid (born March 19, 1958) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Reid was previously head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999 to 2012. From 200 ...
added, "Jason Peters is the best left tackle in football. He is a powerful and athletic tackle and I have admired his play over the last few years on film."
Peters was selected to the
2010 Pro Bowl
The 2010 Pro Bowl was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2009 season. It took place at 8:00 PM EST on Sunday, January 31, 2010, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins and host sit ...
and
2011 Pro Bowl
The 2011 Pro Bowl was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2010 season. It took place at 7:00 p.m. EST (2:00 p.m. local time) on Sunday, January 30, 2011 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The NFC won 55–41, despi ...
as a starter and was a 2010 second-team All-Pro selection.
On March 28, 2012, Peters
ruptured his Achilles tendon during an offseason workout. He ruptured it a second time in May 2012 after the equipment he was using to move around his house malfunctioned. He was placed on the active/non-football injury list on July 22, 2012, before the start of training camp.
On February 26, 2014, Peters signed a new five-year deal worth $51.3 million with the Eagles.
During a game against the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...
on September 21, 2014, Redskins player
Chris Baker took out Eagles Quarterback
Nick Foles
Nicholas Edward Foles (born January 20, 1989) is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona and was selected in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draf ...
with an illegal hit. Following the hit, a brawl broke out on the sidelines between both teams. Baker was confronted by Peters, who then took a swing at Baker which resulted in both players getting
ejected in the scuffle. On September 27, 2014, Peters was fined $10,000.
On June 14, 2017, Peters signed a one-year contract extension with the Eagles through the 2019 season. On October 23, 2017, during Monday Night Football against the Redskins, Peters left the game with an apparent right knee injury. The next night, it was revealed that his right knee had tears to the ACL and MCL, which ended his 2017 season. The Eagles went on to win
Super Bowl LII against the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
41–33, giving Peters his first
Super Bowl ring.
On March 11, 2019, the Eagles signed Peters on a one-year contract for the 2019 season. On July 17, 2020, Peters signed another one-year contract with the Eagles. He was set to start at right guard following a season-ending injury to
Brandon Brooks, but was moved back to left tackle following a season-ending injury to
Andre Dillard. He was given a restructured contract after his move to left tackle on September 10, 2020. He was placed on injured reserve on October 3, 2020 with a foot injury. He was activated on October 31, 2020. He was placed back on injured reserve on December 12, 2020, ending his season.
Chicago Bears
On August 16, 2021, Peters signed with the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
. He started in 15 out of 17 games for the team.
Dallas Cowboys
On September 5, 2022, Peters signed with the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divis ...
practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on September 26.
References
External links
Chicago Bears bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peters, Jason
1982 births
Living people
African-American players of American football
American Conference Pro Bowl players
American football offensive tackles
American football tight ends
American people of Dutch descent
Arkansas Razorbacks football players
Buffalo Bills players
Chicago Bears players
Dallas Cowboys players
National Conference Pro Bowl players
People from Cass County, Texas
Philadelphia Eagles players
Players of American football from Texas
Unconferenced Pro Bowl players
21st-century African-American sportspeople
20th-century African-American people