Eagles To Extend RT Lane Johnson
The Eagles entered the offseason with just one of their four cornerstone linemen under contract, but Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox and Jason Kelce have since signed new deals. The other member of this quartet, Lane Johnson, has since followed suit.
Philadelphia’s 11th-year right tackle agreed to a fourth contract with the team Friday morning. Johnson signed an extension that runs through 2026, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The former first-round pick was already under contract through 2025, making this a one-year bump. But Johnson will collect a chunk of guaranteed money and reduce his 2023 cap hit in the process.
Johnson’s new deal includes $30MM guaranteed, Schefter adds, noting this can be classified as a one-year, $33.45MM accord. The agreement will reduce Johnson’s 2023 cap hit by more than $9MM, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter). The All-Pro blocker was set to carry a $24.2MM 2023 cap number. This new signing bonus will drop that cap figure to approximately $14.8MM. The next two years of Johnson’s contract are now guaranteed, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane tweets.
Graham, Cox and Kelce each agreed to new one-year contracts this month. Johnson is the only member of Philly’s core four signed beyond 2023, and his agreement will help the team afford the deals for his veteran teammates. The Eagles are the rare team with four players drafted 10-plus years ago still on the roster, and this contract does not necessarily lock in Johnson through 2026, as that will be his age-36 season. But it rewards a player who played at a high level through a significant injury to close last season.
Johnson, 32, is recovering from offseason adductor surgery. The Oklahoma alum played through a torn adductor in the playoffs, tabling surgery until after Super Bowl LVII. Although Johnson’s 2022 regular season wrapped after 15 games, he earned his second first-team All-Pro honor. The dominant right-sider has not given up a sack in two seasons.
The Eagles had already adjusted Johnson’s contract — a four-year, $72MM deal agreed to in November 2019 — a whopping four times. Three void years are already attached to the deal. While one of those is no longer a dummy year, Johnson’s deal technically runs through 2028 for cap purposes.
Graham, 35, agreed to a one-year deal worth $5MM. Kelce, 35, is back for a 14th season, signing a one-year extension worth $14.25MM. The Eagles let Cox, 32, hit free agency, but he is back on a one-year, $10MM accord. Although injuries and early-career PED issues have interfered with Johnson’s NFL path, he has managed to remain an elite lineman into his 30s. Johnson has missed six regular-season games over the past two years, bouncing back after missing nine in 2020. The Eagles, who lost veteran starter Isaac Seumalo to the Steelers late last week, will still return four starting O-linemen.
Eagles Rumors: Dickerson, Berry, Free Agents
In a pileup during the Eagles’ NFC Championship win over the 49ers, guard Landon Dickerson suffered a hyperextension of his right elbow in the fourth quarter and was forced to leave the game. After an MRI of the injury came back negative for any serious damage, it is expected that Dickerson will be able play in the Super Bowl next Sunday, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Dickerson will likely need to wear a brace on the injured elbow through practices and probably in the big game, as well. The Eagles subbed in former first-round pick Andre Dillard when Dickerson was forced to exit last week. Dillard will presumably be prepared once again, in the event that Dickerson aggravates the injury any time before the final whistle of the season.
Here are a few more rumors concerning the NFC’s Super Bowl representatives:
- Philadelphia is expecting to make an addition to their front office after the season, according to The Athletic’s Zach Berman. Following the 2023 NFL Draft, Adam Berry is expected to be joining the team, working with the personnel and operations departments. Berry, the twin brother of Browns general manager and executive vice president of football operations Andrew Berry, is a managing director at Goldman Sachs who will be making the leap to the NFL. His brother, Andrew, has been with the Browns for six of the past seven years with a one-year stint in Philadelphia as the vice president of football operations. Berry will join his brother’s former franchise and “will be learning all facets of…football operations.”
- Win or lose, after this weekend the Eagles will have to turn towards next season, where there’s a chance the team will look vastly different than it currently does. Starters such as defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, defensive end Brandon Graham, and center Jason Kelce all are currently destined for free agency in the offseason, and veteran right tackle Lane Johnson could be mulling the decision to hang up his cleats. McLane seemed to imply in his recent report that the likeliest scenario in which these four aren’t Eagles next season would be if they all retire. He seems to believe that, if they all desire to return to Philadelphia, the team will make it happen.
Eagles RT Lane Johnson Eyeing Divisional Round Return
The Eagles will have the luxury of watching the NFC’s Wild-Card matchups this weekend as the postseason begins, as a result of their success in clinching the conference’s No. 1 seed in Week 18. Their bye week will allow a key member of their offense to continue healing, potentially in time for a return next week. 
Right tackle Lane Johnson has progressed during rehab from his adductor injury to the point where he expects to play in Philadelphia’s Divisional Round matchup. That news comes as little surprise given his decision to put off surgery – something which would have left him sidelined until the 2023 campaign – but it is nevertheless a significant development for the Super Bowl contenders.
The 32-year-old suffered the injury in Week 16, and has been pushing to rehab it ever since. Doing so will primarily be a matter of pain management, something which will only truly be tested during full-contact drills next week. Encouragingly, though, Johnson was able to return to the practice field on Friday for the first time since going down. His remarks today suggest he will be able to suit up if everything goes according to plan in the coming days.
“Excited about today being back out there practicing,” he said, via NBC Sports’ Reuben Frank. “Felt good. The goal was to keep testing it and progressing. Made a lot of progress this week and trying to have a regular week next week and see how I feel.”
Johnson was named a first-team All-Pro for the second time in his career today, adding further to his individual accolades and underscoring his importance to the Eagles’ offense. The four-time Pro Bowler confirmed his continued status as one of the league’s top tackles by generating a sterling PFF grade of 89.8 in pass protection, making him an integral part of the Eagles’ highly efficient attack. In his place, the team turned to Jack Driscoll at right tackle, but their preference would obviously be a return from Johnson at anywhere near 100%.
Philadelphia enjoyed the return of quarterback Jalen Hurts last week; the same is true of defenders C.J. Gardner-Johnson and defensive end Robert Quinn after they were activated from IR. Assuming Johnson will be able to play for the postseason, the Eagles could be well-positioned to live up to the potential they showed over the course of a hugely successful regular season.
“The timing of the injury wasn’t great,” Johnson added, “but the only reason I’m coming back is because I think we have a chance to be something special. That’s my reason.”
Eagles RT Lane Johnson To Delay Adductor Surgery, Will Play In Postseason
DECEMBER 28: Johnson will need surgery to address this injury, but the Pro Bowl right tackle will not undergo an operation that threatens his playoff availability. Following consultations with several doctors, the 10th-year Eagles right tackle will put off surgery on his torn adductor, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Johnson plans to return in time for the Eagles’ first playoff game. The eventual procedure will shut down Johnson for around three months, per Rapoport (on Twitter). Rather than move in that direction now, Johnson will attempt to play through this injury after some rehab time.
DECEMBER 26: The Eagles may have their starting quarterback available to close out the regular season, but the same will likely not be true of one of their key offensive linemen. Right tackle Lane Johnson is dealing with a torn tendon in his abdomen, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Surgery may be required at some point, as noted (on Twitter) by Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. 
Schefter adds that Johnson is expected to miss the final two weeks of the regular season. While that will make for a notable absence down the stretch, the team is hopeful at this point that he can recover in time for the playoffs. Philadelphia failed to clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC over the weekend, but doing so at any point in the remaining stretch of the campaign would guarantee them a bye in the Wild Card round and give Johnson extra time to get healthy.
The 32-year-old was recently named a Pro Bowler for the fourth time in his career, as his standout play has continued in 2022. Johnson has generated a PFF grade of 83.2 this season, the second straight season in which he has eclipsed a rating of 80 or higher and sixth overall. He has graded out as the seventh-best offensive tackle per PFF, underlining his importance to Philadelphia’s offense during what has been a hugely successful season to date.
The Eagles have a league-best record of 13-2, and have seen plenty of production on the ground due in no small part to the strength of their offensive front. Johnson has been instrumental in Philadelphia averaging 154 yards per game on the ground, which ranks fourth in the NFL. A ground-heavy approach could be in order if QB Jalen Hurts is once again forced to sit out due to a shoulder sprain, though a return in time for Week 17 against the Saints could still be on the table.
This injury will mark Johnson’s first missed time since a three-week absence last season, the cause of which he cited as mental health. The impact on the Eagles’ pass protection in particular will likely be substantial, as the former top-five pick has yet to allow a sack since 2020.
Jack Driscoll, drafted in the fourth round that year, is expected to be Johnson’s replacement at right tackle; he has made 14 starts in his career, including one this season. But Nick Sirianni said a potential Jordan Mailata position switch — from left to right tackle — that would allow Andre Dillard to man the blindside post is on the table as well, Zach Berman of The Athletic tweets. Dillard has played both positions but has more experience on the left side. The 2019 first-rounder started five games at left tackle last season. Mailata saw time at right tackle briefly last year as well, with Dillard playing the left side during the time in which Mailata was back and Johnson out.
The Eagles enter the closing stages of the regular season with Super Bowl aspirations, but the injuries to Hurts and now Johnson cast serious doubt on their offensive upside in at least the immediate future. Their respective recoveries will go a long way in determining how deep of a playoff run the team can go in January and February.
Contract Details: Watt, Rams, Texans
With teams preparing their cap sheets for the start of the NFL season, we’ve seen a number of front offices rework some contracts. We’ve compiled some of the recent contract maneuverings (as well as some details on recent signings and extension) below:
- T.J. Watt, LB (Steelers): restructured contract yesterday, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The move opened $6.75MM in space for Pittsburgh. Watt inked a four-year deal worth up to $112MM (including $80MM guaranteed) last September.
- Rob Havenstein, OT (Rams): three-year extension. The deal is worth $34.5MM, according to Rapoport (on Twitter). The extension includes $24.1MM guaranteed and offers $6MM in incentives.
- Tyler Higbee, TE (Rams): restructured contract earlier this week, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter). The team converted $4.75MM of Higbee’s base salary into a signing bonus, creating $3.8MM in space.
- Jalen Thompson, S (Cardinals): three-year extension. The $40MM deal includes $24.5MM in guaranteed money and a $10MM signing bonus, according to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter).
- Lane Johnson, OT and Jake Elliott, K (Eagles): restructured contracts today, according to Yates (on Twitter). The Eagles converted $5.88MM of Johnson’s base salary and $2.715MM of Elliot’s base salary into signing bonuses, creating about $6.9MM in cap space.
- O.J. Howard, TE (Texans): one-year deal. The contract is worth $1.035MM, according to Wilson (on Twitter). The tight end will receive $910K in offset from the $1.945MM guaranteed base salary he got from his previous deal with the Bills. When coupled with the $1.25MM signing bonus he got from Buffalo, Howard will earn a total of $3.25MM this year.
- Eric Murray, S (Texans): restructured contract yesterday, per Yates (on Twitter). Specifically, the team converted $1.465MM of his contract into a signing bonus, opening $732.5K in cap space.
- Ka’imi Fairbairn, K and Cameron Johnston, P (Texans): restructured contracts earlier this week, per Wilson (on Twitter). The two moves saved the Texans $2.1MM in cap savings.
Lane Johnson Returns To Eagles
Lane Johnson is back with the Eagles. On Monday, the right tackle announced that he is returning to the club after a three-week hiatus to focus on his mental health.
“I would like to thank everyone for their understanding and support over the last two weeks,” Johnson said (Twitter link). “I appreciate the positive notes and messages as I’ve worked hard to restore my personal life. Depression and anxiety are things I’ve dealt with for a long time and have kept hidden from my friends and family. If you’re reading this and struggling, please know that you are not alone.”
“I am excited to re-join my teammates and coaches. I’m grateful for the entire Eagles community and look forward to continuing to play in front of the best fans in the world.”
Johnson was a surprise inactive for Week 4 and remained out for Weeks 5 and 6. Without the 31-year-old, the Eagles turned to backup Jack Driscoll as their last-minute starter against the Chiefs. For the last two games, they deployed Jordan Mailata on the right side with Andre Dillard serving as the left tackle.
The Birds have dropped two of their last three games without Johnson. Now, the veteran will return just in time for this week’s contest against the Raiders.
Eagles OL Lane Johnson To Miss Third Straight Game
Eagles offensive lineman Lane Johnson is set to miss his third-straight game due to a personal matter, according to EJ Smith (via the Philadelphia Inquirer). The injury report for tonight’s game against the Buccaneers has confirmed that Johnson is inactive.
Johnson was a surprising inactive for Week 4, and he remained out in Week 5. Per Smith, the team’s only explanation was that Johnson has been “dealing with something privately and has the team’s support.”
“[He’s] still working through a personal matter, and we’re here for Lane for everything and all our guys through good times and bad times,” said head coach Nick Sirianni.
The three-time Pro Bowler has spent his entire nine-year career with Philly, and he inked a four-year, $72MM extension (including $54.5MM guaranteed) in 2019. The veteran was limited to only seven games in 2020, but he got into 100 percent of his team’s offensive snaps through the first three weeks of the 2021 campaign.
With Johnson out of the lineup, Jordan Mailata will continue lining up as the right tackle, with Andre Dillard serving as the left tackle.
NFC East Notes: Dak, Gregory, WFT, Eagles
The Cowboys went through three offseasons of Dak Prescott negotiations, finally bringing an end to the saga with a monster four-year, $160MM extension for the Pro Bowl quarterback. This drawn-out process ended benefiting Prescott considerably, given his value when the first round of negotiations began in 2019. Dak is now one of the league’s two $40MM-per-year players, joining Patrick Mahomes, and the sixth-year Dallas quarterback cannot be franchise-tagged after this extension expires. When addressing his top regret during his time as the team’s executive vice president, Stephen Jones said he “probably would have signed Dak the first time around; it would have been better for everybody,” via Pat Doney of NBC 5. The negotiations, which began in April 2019, led to a 2020 franchise tag and the QB’s price rising to the point he inked one of the most player-friendly deals in NFL history this past March. The Cowboys still have their fourth-round find locked up long-term, however. They just took a more difficult route to get here.
Here is the latest from the NFC East:
- Randy Gregory has moved into position to be a full-time starter for the first time, being set to play opposite DeMarcus Lawrence on a regular basis this season. The Cowboys’ oft-suspended pass rusher alluded to then-defensive coordinator Mike Nolan preferring Aldon Smith due to “favoritism.” “I felt there was a little bit of favoritism going on … refusing to let me outshine their favorite,” Gregory said in a lengthy story by The Athletic’s Dan Pompei (subscription required). “They knew I could do it, so they did what they could to keep me at bay. I had my times when I was angry. … I truly felt I got robbed of a year last year.” The NFL reinstated Gregory in late October last year. Smith, who started 16 games after making his own comeback from suspension, is now a Seahawk. New DC Dan Quinn said, via Pompei, he was surprised Gregory (27.1 defensive snaps per game in 2020) did not play more in 2020 and added that the embattled defensive end will indeed see more time this season.
- The Washington Football Team will unveil its next nickname in 2022. That new identity will not be the Warriors, according to team president Jason Wright, who notes discussions the team held revealed “deep-seated discomfort” with that potential moniker. Regardless of what the new name ends up being, the franchise will still use its burgundy-and-gold color scheme.
- Lane Johnson and Derek Barnett‘s restructures created a sizable chunk of cap space for the Eagles. They now have an additional $14MM in cap space, according to Yates (via Twitter). They are up past $16MM, per OverTheCap. Following the Saints’ lead, the Eagles spread out Barnett’s 2021 fifth-year option salary onto future caps by using void years. Barnett’s base salary is now $990K, with the void years stretching through 2025. The Eagles also used void years in Johnson’s restructure, spreading out the right tackle’s cap hit through 2028. He is on Philly’s books for just a $1.1MM base salary this season.
Eagles Restructure OL Lane Johnson, DE Derek Barnett Contracts
Derek Barnett and Lane Johnson have reworked their contracts. ESPN’s Tim McManus reports (via Twitter) that the two Eagles players have agreed to restructure their contracts.
While details of the moves are unknown, McManus notes that the move will free up 2021 money and push current cash down the road. The reporter suspects that the front office also added voidable years (presumably) to Johnson’s contract, a common mechanism that teams use to clear space.
Johnson has earned three Pro Bowl appearances and a first-team All-Pro nod during his eight years in Philadelphia. The veteran signed a four-year, $72MM deal with the organization in 2019, a contract that included just under $55MM in guaranteed money. At the time, the move made the offensive tackle the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history. The veteran has been willing to work with the organization throughout his career, so it’s not a surprise that the sides agreed to restructure.
Barnett, a 2017 first-round pick, is also an Eagles lifer, and he’s started 24 games for the team over the past two seasons. The defensive end will be playing the 2021 season on his fifth-year option, which will pay him around $9MM this upcoming season. With only a year remaining on his contract, it will be interesting to see what kind of “restructuring” the two sides agreed upon.
Lane Johnson Receives Full Medical Clearance
Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson — who had ankle surgery in December — has received full medical clearance, as Johnson himself recently told reporters, including Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia (Twitter link). A report last month indicated that this was to be expected, but it will still come as welcome news to Eagles fans.
Indeed, Johnson battled his painful ankle injury through seven games of the 2020 season before finally succumbing and landing on IR in late November. That was seven more games than right guard Brandon Brooks played, as Brooks sustained a torn Achilles tendon last June. Presumptive left tackle Andre Dillard was lost to a season-ending biceps injury in August, and left guard Isaac Seumalo was limited to nine games. Meanwhile, longtime LT Jason Peters, who was originally re-signed to replace Brooks, had to be shifted back to left tackle in the wake of Dillard’s injury, though Peters only ended up playing eight games due to a toe ailment.
It was a horrible run of misfortune for the Eagles, but the club is banking on a return to health from its MASH unit in 2021. Philadelphia selected Alabama center Landon Dickerson in the second round of this year’s draft and recently signed veteran OT Le’Raven Clark, but both players suffered major injuries of their own in December (an ACL tear for Dickerson and an Achilles tear for Clark). Otherwise, there were no notable offseason additions to the O-line.
Johnson’s shortened 2020 campaign ended a run of three consecutive Pro Bowl berths. He has restructured his market-topping $18MM/year contract multiple times, and he has a number of void years tacked onto the end of the deal. Although he is eligible for free agency after the 2025 season, he will count against the Eagles’ books for three more years after that. So Philly has plenty of on-field and financial reasons to celebrate Johnson’s clean bill of health.