Philadelphia Eagles debate table: Should Jason Peters retire or return in 2019?

Should the Philadelphia Eagles allow Jason Peters to return in 2019 or should they move on from ‘The Bodyguard’.

The offseason for the Philadelphia Eagles has just gotten underway and the future for ‘The Bodyguard’ still remains uncertain. Should Jason Peters call it a career or come back for one more season in the midnight green?

Philly’s future Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee’s storied NFL career has been filled with quite a few unforgettable moments as well as some unfortunate ones. During his last two seasons, he’s been dealing with a significant amount of injuries.

Midway through the 2017 season, Peters’ season was cut short after suffering a torn ACL and MCL. This past season, the injury bug found Peters again. Although he started every game, he still dealt with an array of injuries such as multiple quad injuries, torn bicep, and a concussion.

Maybe father time has caught up with the nine-time Pro Bowl nominee, which begs the question. Should Peters hang up his cleats or suit up for the ‘The Birds’ for one more season?

Peters may still have some left in the tank.

Of course, it’s natural for a 37-year-old athlete who has played 15 seasons in the NFL to be a shell of his former self, but when healthy, Peters has proven why he earned the nickname ‘The Bodyguard’.

Prior to enduring a season-ending injury in the 2017 season, Peters only allowed one sack and two pressures in seven games.

During an injury-riddled 2018 campaign, Peters allowed 34 pressures, giving up two sacks, seven hits, and 24 hurries.

While the 2018 stats were not up to the standard fans are used to seeing from Peters, he still played above average. Pro Football Focus ranked Peters as the 38th best offensive tackle in the league.

However, his 34 pressures allowed were the second-most of any season in his career, according to PFF.

Inside The Iggles previously mentioned Peters has been extremely quiet regarding his future in the NFL. Following the Eagles loss to the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Divisional Round, Peters reportedly took his time packing up and declined any interviews from the media. The next day during locker room clean-out day he decided to not to speak as well.

What a post-Peters era may look like.

If Peters decides his body can’t take the grind of another season and announces his retirement the Eagles would save approximately $10.7 million in cap space, according to Spotrac.

Currently, on the Eagles roster, there are two likely options who could replace Peters. Either Halapoulivaati Vaitai or Jordan Mailata.

Vaitai has shown glimpses of being a decent offensive lineman. When Peters went down in 2017, Vaitai took over and held his own which helped the Eagles win their first Super Bowl in franchise history. However, in the long-term, Vaitai may not be the answer the Eagles are looking for.

On the other hand, Mailata has drawn high praise from fans even though he just started playing football nearly a year ago.

Mailata was an Australian rugby player before the Eagles picked him in the seventh round of the 2018 draft. The hopes of the Eagles front office and fans is he would eventually take over for Peters and make an instant impact.

Certain polls show fans are split regarding Peters’ future.

Eagles beat reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer Jeff McLane recently published an article where he discusses every player who finished on the 53-man roster. McLane gave his opinion on whether they should stay or go. What is unique about this article is fans can join in and voice their opinion by voting.

58.2 percent of voters believe Peters should stay and 41.8 percent of voters think it is time for Peters to go.

We are here to do the same. Do you guys believe Peters should call it a career or come back for one more round with the Eagles?

The debate table is officially open.