Former Eagles Star Is Retiring

Former Eagles star Jason Peters is retiring to join the Seattle Seahawks front office.

Seahawks General Manager John Schneider told reporters at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis Tuesday that Peters, 43, has decided to call it a career after two decades in the NFL to join the team's player engagement department.

Peters is expected to be an assistant to Mo Kelly, the Seahawks’ vice president of player affairs.

Peters played the final eight games of his career with the Seahawks in the 2023 season. He also spent time on Seattle's practice squad during the 2024 season.

Peters began what is expected to be a Hall of Fame career with the Buffalo Bills after going undrafted in 2004 out of Arkansas. A college tight end turned NFL left tackle, Peters was defined by his other-worldly combination of strength and athleticism.

He was named a second-team All-Pro during what turned out to be his final two seasons with the Bills before being traded to the Eagles before the draft in 2009. Peters then remained with Philadelphia through the 2020 season where he developed into a team leader and a player still revered today in the Eagles' locker room, especially by the team's two start tackles: Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata, who developed their standards from Peters' level of play and accountability.

Jason Peters and Jordan Mailata — Former Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Jason Peters (71) talks with offensive tackle Jordan Mailata (68). | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Unhappy with his contract in Buffalo, the Bills dealt Peters to the Eagles for the 28th overall pick (offensive lineman Eric Wood) and No. 121 (tight end Shawn Nelson) in the 2009 draft, as well as a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2010 NFL draft (linebacker Danny Batten).

The Eagles quickly ripped up Peters' old contract and agreed to a six-year, $60 million contract with the star left tackle.

"Jason Peters is the best left tackle in football," then-coach Andy Reid said at the time.

It was with Philadelphia where Peters earned that title from Reid with four All-Pro honors, seven Pro Bowl nods, and a place on the 2010s All-Decade Team. "The Bodyguard" was also a member of the Eagles' Super Bowl LII team although he was injured and replaced by Halapoulivaati Vaitai.

Overall Peters was a six-time All-Pro and nine-time Pro Bowl selection.

"Great, great player," Eagles GM Howie Roseman said at the scouting combine. "That trade that we made -- I was the personnel director at the time -- the guy is just a freak of all freaks.

"They called him "The Franchise" for a reason. You felt every Sunday going into the game that you had no worries no matter who the pass rusher was. Elite athlete. Elite teammate. World champion. In my mind, no doubt first ballot Hall of Famer. Just an incredible career.

Now predicted as a future Hall of Famer by many himself after building his second Super Bowl-winning roster, Roseman tethered his success to players like Peters.

"One of the many players that I don't think I'd be standing up here if it wasn't for the success of guys like that," Roseman said. "So just really thankful for Jason Peters."

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