National Football League

Peters out with ruptured Achilles

Published Mar. 30, 2012 1:00 a.m. ET

Ross Jones

The Philadelphia Eagles’ season of redemption hit a bump in the road Friday, when the team learned starting left tackle Jason Peters ruptured his Achilles tendon.

Peters suffered the injury to his right leg Tuesday while training in Texas. Surgery will be required to fix the tendon; the procedure is scheduled for April 2. An injury of this sort typically takes nine to 12 months to heal.

This injury is a major blow to the Eagles’ offense. Peters has been a staple on the offensive line, having been voted to the Pro Bowl in each of the past five seasons.

"Jason is one of the best, if not the best, offensive tackle in the NFL," head coach Andy Reid said. "We don’t know when he will return to the field and we will not speculate on a timeline. We are just going to let the surgical process and the rehabilitation process play itself out."

Peters, who was not selected in the 2004 NFL Draft, started 14 games for the Eagles last season. It'ss likely that he will be replaced by King Dunlap, who was re-signed Friday to a one-year deal.

The Eagles also could pick up an offensive tackle in April’s draft. The Eagles own three picks in the first 51 spots and hold the 15th overall pick. It has been projected that the Eagles would draft an inside linebacker to cure last season’s woes, but they recently made a trade with the Houston Texans, acquiring Pro Bowl linebacker DeMeco Ryans.