Written by Jeff McLane at Philly.com
The Eagles lost their Bodyguard on Monday night. They lost their left tackle, who has protected the blind side of Philly quarterbacks for the last decade. They lost their captain, who lords over the locker room from his corner perch at the NovaCare Complex.
Jason Peters – air cast around his injured right knee — was hoisted onto a cart around 10:15 p.m. Eastern time. Eagles players ignored officials and emptied onto the field and enveloped the offensive lineman. Every one. Save for linebacker Nigel Bradham, for whatever reason.
Peters, who only moments earlier was writhing on the ground, looked at ease when ESPN cameras focused on his face. He seemed to be encouraging his teammates to finish the task at hand. And, in fact, he offered words of encouragement and some coaching to his replacement, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, before leaving.
But Peters’ fate was ominous.
“If he stays down for a long period of time,” Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson said afterward, “usually it means something serious.”
Eagles coach Doug Pederson said that he wouldn’t know the extent of Peters’ knee injury until further tests on Tuesday. But several of his teammates said that they feared he suffered a ligament tear.
Could the injury cost him the next game? The rest of the season? His career? Questions about his and the long-term future at left tackle will have to wait for now. But if Peters’ season is indeed over, there was solace in the Eagles’ performance after he left and, ultimately, in a 34-24 win over the Redskins that was resilient.
Carson Wentz, of course, will compensate for slow starts, injuries, and various flaws. The quarterback, despite his relative youth, is playing at an otherworldly level. And even if Vaitai must replace Peters for the foreseeable future, there is a reason to believe that Wentz will offset the downgrade.
To continue reading this article, click here.
