Cowboys sign Eagles legend offensive lineman to practice squad: report

Aiming to still play one of the toughest positions in football at age 40, Jason Peters is reportedly joining a team he considered a rival for most of his career. 

The Eagles offensive tackle legend has agreed to sign with the Dallas Cowboys practice squad, reports ESPN. Since he did not have a training camp, Peters’ time on the practice squad allows him to ramp up to game speed before the Cowboys decide if he should join the active roster. 

Despite playing with the Chicago Bears last season, it is going to be an awkward moment for Eagles fans if and when Peters straps on his pads with the navy blue star on his jersey. 

“That’s going to be really strange,” current Eagles tackle Jordan Mailata told NBC Sports about the Peters news. “That’s the one thing I did think about actually, was seeing him in a Dallas Cowboys outfit. It’s kind of weird.”

However, Dallas had to make a move for a tackle when Tyron Smith, who guards Dak Prescott’s blindside at left tackle, suffered a torn left hamstring. The Cowboys’ first-round pick, Tulsa’s Tyler Smith, will be the likely Week 1 starter now. 

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The best years of Peters’ 17-year career thus far came in Philadelphia, where he was an anchor on their O-line. He became a Super Bowl champion during the 2017-18 season, though he was hurt through the team’s playoff run, and that was at 36 years old. 

Peters was a Pro Bowler from 2009-16 once he joined the Eagles after spending five seasons with the Buffalo Bills. He was also a two-time First-Team All-Pro in 2011 and 2013. 

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While playing for the Bears, Peters started all of his 15 games at left tackle and showed that while he was not as dominant as he had been in the past, he can still play at a high level. 

Peters’ story is a remarkable one: He went undrafted in 2004, and was originally with Buffalo as a tight end. That quickly changed once the Bills realized that he was a great blocker with nimble feet and good technique. It was clearly the right decision in the long run. 

Peters has future Hall of Fame written all over his resume, but he does not want to hang up his cleats yet. It remains to be seen if he will be strapping them on in Week 6 on Sunday Night Football, the first time the Cowboys and Eagles meet this season in the latest chapter of their NFC East rivalry.