Father Time finally seems to be catching up to Jason Peters. What can the Eagles do?

PHILADELPHIA – When we last heard from Jason Peters, following a late December 2019 game against the Dallas Cowboys, he was defiantly telling a small group of reporters that he was still among the elite left tackles in the NFL.

"You tell me somebody that’s better than me, and I’ll walk away from the game," Peters said then. "You got somebody?"

A reporter responded: "Not off the top of my head."

"OK then," Peters said. "I’m going to keep rolling."

It hasn't quite worked out that way through the Eagles' first three games for Peters, who's 38 and in his 17th NFL season.

He has started to show his age, resembling Willie Mays playing center field for the Mets in 1973 after a brilliant Hall of Fame career up until then.

Peters, who has been selected to the Pro Bowl in seven of his previous 11 seasons with the Eagles, will likely be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as soon as he's eligible.

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But it won't be based on this season. According to Pro Football Focus, Peters allowed two sacks and two hurries against the Bengals on Sunday in the Eagles' 23-23 tie. He has given up three sacks in three games, or as many he has allowed in each of the last two seasons.

The Bengals could have had a few more sacks against Peters had quarterback Carson Wentz not been able to escape pressure.

Some of it is understandable.

Since the end of last season, Peters was unemployed for about four months after the Eagles allowed him to become a free agent. He didn't sign with another team, mainly because no other team wanted to pay him a starting left tackle salary.

Neither did the Eagles.

Then Peters came back to the Eagles in July to play right guard in place of Brandon Brooks, who's out with a torn Achilles. That lasted for about six weeks before he moved back to left tackle after Andre Dillard suffered a season-ending injury in late August.

Before moving, Peters reportedly demanded, then received, a bump in pay. Peters' guaranteed salary went from $3 million to $4 million, with the potential to earn as much as $8 million, up from $6 million.

"A lot changes going from guard to tackle, mainly the timing," right tackle Lane Johnson said. "You get inside at guard, the guys are in your face a lot quicker, so your reaction time has to be more sudden. At tackle, you have a little more time before you have to make contact, and you have to do a little more analysis on their width and their angles and what they’re rushing.

"It’s not an easy transition at all."

Perhaps Peters added weight during the offseason for the move to guard, knowing he'd be going against heavier interior defensive linemen as opposed to the likes of Washington's Chase Young, who burned Peters for a sack in the season opener.

Peters has been listed at 6-foot-4, 328 pounds for years with the Eagles, but chances are that he's heavier than that. Eagles coach Doug Pederson said earlier this week that Peters left the game in overtime because of fatigue more so than injury.

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Peters hasn't been made available to the media this season.

It has gotten to the point where the Eagles are admitting that Peters isn't playing like he used to.

When asked how Peters played against the Bengals, Pederson said: "I thought Jason was doing some nice things. There were a couple times he got edged a little bit. I thought overall he played pretty well.

"And even in the run game, he still plays at a high level and felt good about his performance. It wasn't perfect, but he definitely was in the right spots and doing the right things for us."

The Eagles don't have much choice but to stick with him.

His backup is Jordan Mailata, who has played a total of 20 NFL snaps. The Eagles held a tryout for veteran Cordy Glenn before the season started, but did not sign him.

Johnson, for one, said that in the video review with Peters, the two found a technical issue that might have led to Peters' struggles.

"A couple of the sacks he gave up, we’re watching the film together and I think he just missed with his right hand a couple times when he usually doesn’t," Johnson said. "It’s simple technique stuff, and stuff you can get fixed."

At this point, the Eagles have to hope so.

Another long injury list

Greg Ward was the only current wide receiver on the 53-man roster to practice Thursday. Alshon Jeffery (foot) was given a planned day, according to a source; DeSean Jackson (hamstring) and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside (calf) missed practice for the second straight day, and John Hightower (illness) also sat out.

G Jamon Brown and LT Jason Peters (both illnesses) sat out, as did CB Avonte Maddox (ankle) and CB Trevor Williams (rib). 

The following were limited: S Rudy Ford (groin), RB Miles Sanders (glute) and RT Lane Johnson (ankle). 

DT Fletcher Cox (abdominal), C Jason Kelce and OL Jack Driscoll (illness) all returned after missing practice Wednesday

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.