The Eagles weren’t at any risk of losing Jason Peters as a free agent this offseason, but they’ve gone ahead and signed him to an extension all the same.
The team announced Wednesday that they have reached an agreement with Peters on a four-year extension. With one year left on his current deal, Peters is now signed through 2018.
“There aren’t many people cut from the same cloth as Jason Peters,” head coach Chip Kelly said in a statement. “To be able to bounce back from two Achilles injuries and return to an All-Pro level speaks not only to his incredible athleticism, but proves just how hard he works at his game. Having him at left tackle provides a lot of comfort to our quarterback and to our entire offense. He’s a guy that many players look up to in our locker room.
Peters’ agent Vincent Taylor told Adam Schefter of ESPN that the team has signed Peters the deal is worth $41.3 million with $19.55 million of that total guaranteed.
There’s no further word on structure, but it could be a sign of the way that teams are going to use the rise in the salary cap that’s expected this season. Peters was locked up for $9.65 million this season and the team would have had a variety of options of how to keep him, but this choice suggests they’re comfortable with the amount of cap space they’ll have now and in the future. Peters’ deal could also be an omen for a robust free agent market for tackles.
It also suggests that last year’s first-round pick Lane Johnson is going to be on the right side of the offensive line for the near future. Johnson was seen as a potential replacement for Peters on the left side when he was selected, but that spot should be occupied for quite a while longer now that Peters is signed through 2018.