Oldest player in NFL Jason Peters makes his Seahawks debut. He will ‘be a factor’
Jason Peters has a big boom box in his locker. It’s Seahawks-colored, white, royal blue and green. It looks like a 1980s throwback.
And it’s loud.
“Someone gave it to me,” Peters said, as he kindly turned down its volume to talk at his locker before practice Wednesday.
Peters is a throwback. He’s the NFL’s oldest player. And he is becoming louder in Seattle’s offense, and season.
The 41-year-old former All-Pro and Super Bowl-winning left tackle with Philadelphia made his awaited Seahawks debut in their game against Cleveland last weekend. It was 6 1/2 weeks after he signed out of his home in east Texas to Seattle’s practice squad, then got acclimated and into game shape.
So now Peters has played in 20 NFL seasons. Or about 17 more than he was hoping for when he entered the league.
“Never thought,” he said of 20 seasons. “My rookie year, I was just trying to get to three. Then once I got to three I was trying to get to five. Then I got traded (from Buffalo to Philadelphia in April 2009) and kind of re-set myself.”
Bobby Wagner is 33, in his 12th NFL season. The Seahawks’ defensive captain was asked if that’s going to be him in eight years, playing when he’s 41.
“Ummm...no,” Wagner said.
Pete Carroll was in his fourth season as USC’s coach when Peters’ NFL career began in 2004 with the Buffalo Bills. Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith was just leaving middle school. Stone Forsythe, with whom Peters alternated at right tackle for the Seahawks against the Browns, was 6 years old when Peters first started in the NFL.
“He’s good. He’s got some regrets about a few plays, but he did a really nice job.” Carroll said of Peters’ debut.
“This is a remarkable thing we’re watching. This is one-in-a-million that you see a guy like this that can play at a high level.
“He’ll continue to be a factor for us.”
Perhaps by making his first Seahawks start Sunday, when NFC West-leading Seattle (5-2) plays at the Baltimore Ravens (6-2).
Carroll didn’t reveal whether that was in this week’s plan. But as Peters said upon his arrival in September, “I’m here to play.” A 20-year veteran and nine-time Pro Bowl tackle didn’t relocate all the way to Seattle to be a coach watching Stone Forsythe.
This week, Peters continued his personal regimen for getting ready for each practice. Each day on the field he’s off to the side with a trainer working with a giant band around his legs, for flexibility.
He credits stretching as the key to his longevity. He’s a big advocate for yoga. He even does it in the sauna inside the Seahawks’ locker room.
It was telling that with the Seahawks down by three points late in the game last weekend against Cleveland, it was Peters and not Forsythe at right tackle against Browns All-Pro pass rusher Myles Garrett. Forsythe started because Abe Lucas remains on injured reserve with a knee injury.
“I didn’t know. Stone talked to coach and he just said ‘Go in,’” Peters said. “So, I go. I’m ready. I had no idea.”
Throughout the game the Browns were swapping sides with their edge rushers, alternating ends Garrett and Za’Darius Smith from left and right sides. Garrett was on the offense’s right side, lined up across from Peters, for the game’s deciding drive.
Peters stymied Garrett on the first three plays of the 2-minute drill. That gave Geno Smith the time to find Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf and Noah Fant on completions that quickly got the Seahawks from their own 43-yard line to the Cleveland 14.
From there, Seattle won the game on Smith’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba on a bubble screen outside left, behind Metcalf’s block, with 38 seconds remaining.
Peters’ experience paid off on the game-winning drive, in more than just his pass-blocking sets.
“I just stay steady, doing the same thing, over and over,” he said. “Get to your spot. Keep low hips. Block the guy as long as you possibly can, that way Geno can make a play.
“I was just trying not to be that guy (that) let’s you guy win — and everything else will take care of itself.”
Before the final drive, Peters gathered the offense around him and calmly gave teammates perspective.
“This is what we work for,” Peters told his Seahawks. “This is why you went to training camp, did all those...OTAs and grind for two hours, for a moment like this. Couple minutes on the clock, let’s go win it.”
