Needy Seahawks about to learn how quickly Jason Peters, 41, can get ready to play tackle
How soon can a 41-year-old former All-Pro and Super Bowl champion signed off the street be ready to play in an NFL game?
The Seahawks are trying to find out.
They signed nine-time Pro Bowl tackle Jason Peters to their practice squad Tuesday. That’s in the wake of starting offensive tackles Charles Cross and Abe Lucas leaving Seattle’s opening-game loss to the Los Angeles Rams Sunday with injuries.
The Seahawks also signed tackle Greg Eiland to the practice squad. He’d been with the team this preseason and was waived from the practice squad Aug. 31.
Seattle released third quarterback Holton Ahlers and safety Brady Breeze from the practice squad to make room there for Peters and Eiland.
If he plays in a game, Peters would become the NFL’s oldest active player. He’s two years older than now-injured Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Bears tight end Marcedes Lewis and Cardinals kicker Matt Prater.
The year Peters was born, Seahawks 71-year-old coach Pete Carroll was in his first job above a college position coach. That was in 1982 when Carroll was a first-time defensive coordinator at North Carolina State University.
Peters is a former star and Super Bowl champion with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2009-2020. His second of two All-Pro selections was in 2013. His last Pro Bowl selection was in 2016.
He made one start for Dallas last season. He’s been an unsigned free agent since the end of last season.
This summer he let it be known he would like to be playing in a 20th NFL season this fall.
Peters will now work into playing condition. With recently liberalized rules for practice-squad players being available for games, the team could promote Peters from the practice squad to play in a game as soon as he’s ready.
Lucas, 24, has what his coach has repeatedly called an “old knee,” sore but tests have shown it doesn’t have structural damage. Coach Pete Carroll said his starting right tackle was “walking all right” around team headquarters Monday. That indicates Lucas might need some time off from practices this week but conceivably could start this weekend when the Seahawks play at the Detroit Lions (1-0).
Cross seems more in doubt to play Sunday. He was carted out of Lumen Field with a toe injury during Seattle’s 30-13 loss to the Rams.
The ninth pick in the 2022 draft has been the Seahawks’ starting left tackle since game one of his rookie year last season. He has yet to miss a game.
“It’s going to take a little while until we know” whether Cross can play this week, Carroll said.
Cross and Lucas, a third-round pick last year from Washington State, have been bookend revelations that have helped solidify Seattle’s offensive line.
Having one or both of them out against the aggressive, young Lions would be sub-optimal.
“Both tackles left the game. So, you know, we’re a little concerned,” Carroll said.
Jake Curhan and Stone Forsythe were Seattle’s tackles to end the Rams game. That’s also sub-optimal for the Seahawks.
The drop-off from Cross and Lucas to Curhan and Forsythe is dramatic.
But so is asking Peters to play Sunday after not having an NFL practice since the end of last season.
This story was originally published September 12, 2023 at 5:37 PM.
