Over the next few weeks leading up to training camp, we’ll be counting down the top 25 most important Eagles for the 2023 season.
25. Nolan Smith
24. Quez Watkins
23. Kenny Gainwell
22. Marcus Mariota
21. Reed Blankenship
20. Brandon Graham
19. D'Andre Swift
18. Avonte Maddox
17. Cam Jurgens
16. Fletcher Cox
15. Landon Dickerson
14. Jordan Davis
13. Nakobe Dean
12. Jalen Carter
11. James Bradberry
10. Jordan Mailata
9. Josh Sweat
8. DeVonta Smith
7. Darius Slay
6. Dallas Goedert
5. Jason Kelce
4. A.J. Brown
3. Haason Reddick
2. Lane Johnson
Lane Johnson is 33 now and entering the 11th year of his NFL career. So maybe you’re waiting to see his decline.
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It hasn’t happened yet.
“A lot of my game now is trying to be a smarter player,” Johnson said this spring. “Whatever you may have in diminished attributes, you can make up with timing and that sort of thing. I’m happy where I’m at — 33 is old but I still feel like I got a few good years left.”
In fact, Johnson is still very much in his prime as he gets ready for the 2023 season. In 2022, he made his fourth career Pro Bowl team and was named as an All-Pro for the second time in his NFL career. He’s finally getting the recognition he deserves.
In 2022, Johnson suffered a torn adductor that eventually needed surgery after the season. But after missing the final two games of the regular season, Johnson somehow returned to action in the playoffs and was as dominant as ever in those three games. What he was able to accomplish in the playoffs was nothing short of amazing.
NFL
After the loss in Super Bowl LVII, Johnson had surgery performed by Dr. William Meyers, who leads the field in core muscle injuries, to repair that adductor. He was already back on the practice field this spring.
Johnson hasn’t started every game in a season since 2015. He’s missed games here and there for various reasons. He suffered a really tough ankle injury in 2018 that lingered for a few seasons. In 2021, Johnson missed three starts as he dealt with mental health issues.
When Johnson is on the field, though, there’s absolutely no better right tackle in the NFL. He’s one of the best overall tackles in the league too. With a couple more strong seasons, Johnson could become a Hall of Famer. Heck, he hasn’t given up a sack since 2020, according to PFF.
This offseason, the Eagles gave Johnson a one-year extension that will keep him under contract through the 2026 season. That means he could play four more seasons and will be nearly 37 when that deal ends. If he plays as well the next four seasons as he did in 2022, we could very well see a gold jacket in Johnson’s future.
For years, accolades eluded Johnson, despite being the No. 4 overall pick back in 2013. There were probably reasons for that. He was suspended twice early in his career for violating the NFL’s PED policy and there was once a stigma about playing on the right side of the line that Johnson has really helped minimize.
“I feel like maybe last year I got put on the map a little bit,” Johnson said. “But like I said, when I came in the right tackle-left tackle dilemma was a lot bigger gap than what it is now. Closing that out was probably a big thing and it took some years to do.”
When it comes to his importance to the Eagles, all you have to do is look at the record. Since 2016 (including the playoffs), the Eagles are 61-30-1 with Johnson in the lineup. They’re 10-22 without him.
While those records don’t tell the full story, there’s no question that Johnson has been and still is one of the most important players on this Eagles roster.
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