One of the biggest question marks facing the Eagles heading into 2018 is whether Jason Peters will return after tearing his ACL and MCL in Week 7 against Washington.
During his season-ending press conference, Eagles head coach Doug Pederson didn't just leave the door open for the 36-year-old veteran to return, he essentially expects him back in the starting lineup Week 1.
"This guy is a Pro Bowl left tackle," Pederson told reporters Wednesday at the NovaCare Complex. "Guys like that, in my humble opinion, they can go out whenever they want to go out. I respect him, and what he's done, and how he's working right now through injury. If you had to hold a gun to my head right now, I'd say 'yeah, he's my left tackle.'"
Bringing Peters back would certainly provide a boost to what had developed into the NFL's premier offensive line in 2018.
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Peters is one of the more respected leaders in the Eagles' locker room, but bringing him back could prove cumbersome given the fact that the team is currently more than $4 million over the salary cap.
Due to the fact that he has one year remaining on his contract at a cap number of $10.6 million, if Peters is looking to return and the Eagles indeed want him back, the two sides may need to restructure his contract to make that feasible for both sides.
There's little doubting what Peters means to the Eagles both in the locker room and on the field, as his offensive line teammates made it their mission to win the veteran a Super Bowl ring.
"He's such a pillar of our offense, and our identity," Johnson told NJ Advance Media on Thursday at the Mall of America. "It's been like that for a number of years. Obviously, we'd love to have him out there. It's breaking his heart not to be out there with us. Anyway we can make him feel special, he's a big reason why we're here. I can't say too much nice stuff about him He's a real genuine person. He's a legend. He really sets the tone for this team."
Matt Lombardo may be reached at MLombardo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattLombardoPHL.