Eagles Great Jason Peters Signing With Hated Dallas Cowboys

Eagles great Jason Peters signing with the Cowboys originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

This is going to look weird.

Eagles great Jason Peters is extending his career and is signing with the Dallas Cowboys, ESPN's Todd Archer reported Monday morning. Peters will begin his time in Dallas on the practice squad.

The Cowboys found themselves in need of a left tackle after Tyron Smith suffered a torn left hamstring and Peters isn’t ready to hang them up even at 40 years of age. So this makes sense.

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It doesn’t mean it won’t be odd.

“That’s going to be really strange,” Jordan Mailata said after the news of Peters’ visit to Dallas broke. “That’s the one thing I did think about actually, was seeing him in a Dallas Cowboys outfit. It’s kind of weird.”

Peters, who will turn 41 in January, spent 11 years of his carer with the Eagles, last playing in eight games in 2020. Peters began his Eagles career in 2009, when he was traded from the Bills. He made seven consecutive Pro Bowls as an Eagle (nine overall) from 2009-2016. And even though he was injured halfway through the Super Bowl season in 2017, he was still a huge part of that team, helping his backup Halapoulivaati Vaitai throughout the playoff run. 

Peters returned in 2018 and started all 16 games but the end of his time in Philly was marred by nagging injuries that often forced him out of games. When he got hurt in 2020, it allowed Mailata to log some extremely valuable starts and in 2021, Mailata won the job from Andre Dillard.

While Peters’ career in Philly didn’t end on the highest note, he’s still one of the greatest players in franchise history and a potential Hall of Famer.

Last year after the Eagles moved on, Peters played for the Bears, starting 15 games in Chicago. He’s no longer the dominant player he once was but Peters was actually pretty good for the Bears last season. He was PFF’s 21st-ranked tackle league-wide in 2021.

“Dude can still play, man,” Mailata said. “He’s amazing. He will always be my mentor. Taught me a lot in his time here so forever grateful for him. I hope he can get the opportunity he wants. But I’m not surprised. It’s JP, man. The bloke can do it.”

Peters will make his return to Philadelphia in Week 6, when the Eagles host the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football on Oct. 16. That will most certainly be strange.