4 Reasons Jason Peters might return to Philadelphia Eagles in 2020

4. Who’s to say he gets what he wants in free agency?

If Philly went the route of spending money on someone who’s already played in the NFL, there are older options like Anthony Castonzo and Bryan Bulaga. Both of those guys may set the market price, but they’re aging. They’ve been good for a while, but regression may come sooner rather than later.

Then, there are the young guys. Take Jack Conklin for instance. He, Costanzo, and Bulaga might be seen as better options than Peters. After ‘The Bodyguard’ on the hierarchy of offensive linemen, there’s the 28-year-old Daryl Williams and a few more old guys like Demar Dotson, Andrew Whitworth, and Kelvin Beachum. Whitworth, like Peters, is approaching 40 years of age.

‘Big V’ could very well leave and get big money and earn a starting gig. Peters may get a nice payday as well, but there’s also the possibility that neither gets what they want. Vaitai is younger, so he might get overpaid, but some of these teams may just opt to wait until the end of April to address their needs at tackle if they have any, so, let’s do a quick recap.

Philly hasn’t been able to find a real replacement for Peters, so they kept bringing him back, probably to their detriment. Matt Pryor isn’t Peters. ‘Big V’ is decent and versatile but undervalued. The Eagles might not want to keep him and pay him a handsome salary.

As it turns out, the rugby guy who never played football can’t play football. There’s a shocker. Dillard has to play because of what the Eagles have invested in him, but he may not be mentally or physically ready to do so. Options are minimal in both the draft and in free agency, and even though he’s 38, Peters is still one of the better offensive tackles in the game. He just may not get what he wants when he tests out the hot and cold waters of what’s been nicknamed ‘the frenzy’.

Do you see why the Eagles kept bringing him back now? Do you see why it isn’t a  foregone conclusion that we’ve seen him for a final time in an Eagles jersey? Hang on to those seats. This story may not be at its ending. It might just be at the beginning.