The Atlanta Falcons have announced the signing of Toronto Argonauts And CFL All-Star CB Jamal Peters. Atlanta signed Peters, along with seventeen other players, on Monday, to futures deals for the 2023 offseason. Peters worked out and drew the interest of several NFL teams after starring for the Grey Cup Champion Argos in 2022. The Falcons were one of the NFL teams that worked out Peters in December.
Immediately after an NFL season ends, teams ink practice squad and free agent players to reserve/future deals. The contracts do not take effect until the new league year but are a way for teams to get an early jump on their off-season roster.
Last year, The Atlanta Falcons signed key 2022 contributors like Caleb Huntley and Cornell Armstrong to futures deals. They also signed a pair of Canadian Football League standouts, Dee Alford and Brayden Lenius. Alford was a valuable reserve at cornerback all season long for the Dirty Birds.
The CFL’s leader in interceptions in 2022, Jamal Peters, has become one of the best defensive backs in Canada. And as a result, the Falcons and the big league south of the border took notice.
Atlanta Falcons Sign Toronto Argonauts & CFL All-Star Jamal Peters
Technically, Jamal Peters is getting a second chance in the National Football League. But one could argue that this is really his first genuine opportunity to play pro football in the United States.
One thing that can’t be disputed is that the existence of the CFL and Toronto’s eye for talent helped create this pathway for him.
The newly minted Grey-Cup Champion Peters was a standout high school athlete as a two-sport player out of Bassfield, Mississippi. Peters was rated the No. 1 prospect in the state of Mississippi and was ranked as the 40th best high school player in the country by ESPN.
As a WR and DB in high school, Jamal Peters registered five interceptions as a senior while catching 28 passes for 581 and 6 TDs. His team won three-straight Class 2A state championships. As a basketball player, Peters averaged 18.2 points per game as a junior on the Bassfield team.
Peters’s athleticism, physicality, and ball skills have been on display with the Argonauts in Canada. Peters is coming off a breakout campaign in the CFL.
Jamal Peters played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs from 2015 to 2018. He played in 46 games with 99 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, three interceptions, one sack, and two forced fumbles.
The 6’2, 220lb Peters signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2019. However, an injury cut his time extremely short in the NFL. The Colts released Peters just days after signing him with an injury settlement.
The brief dalliance in the NFL is what led to Jamal Peters seeking playing time up north in Canada. Peters has earned another shot after being cast aside and dismissed nearly four years ago.
The Argonauts’ front office deserves a ton of credit for scouting and signing quality players such as Jamal Peters. The CFL Champion Argos has built a roster filled with All-Star American imports.
Losing Peters is a tough blow for Toronto’s secondary and Corey Mace’s defence, but the Argos will leave a spot open for him while they continue to search for more players like Peters in the future.
