The Philadelphia Eagles have cleaned out their lockers with an uncertain future ahead, after the devastating end to the season at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wild Card game.
There are some questions about their top players and who will be back, but one that is quietly being asked is what's going to happen with Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson after missing the last eight games of the season with the foot injury. Eagles starting left tackle Jordan Mailata tackled that subject as he was asked about Johnson's future and what he has been doing behind the scenes to heal his foot.
"Whatever happens, happens," Mailata said regarding Johnson's future via The Philadelphia Inquirer's Olivia Reiner.
"Ultimate pro," Mailata continued. "I think what upsets him the most, I don't want to put words in his mouth, but he does everything he can to be available. But it's not even when he's hurt. It's just even when he's starting, his routine is so meticulous. Every minute is planned out, from the moment he wakes up to the minute he goes to bed. And so I think, for him, it irks him a little more, you know?
"He's just done a fantastic job of being there for us, even when he wasn't playing, just being supportive of especially me and Fred [Johnson]. ... He's concerned about what Fred and I are doing, the timing of our hands, our set lines, what we're thinking on first and second down. Are we more aggressive? Or he'll watch something on film. He was still watching film for us. And he'll come, like, 'Hey, I saw that this guy, second step, he likes to do a little shake and bake inside. So that experience that we get from him being a total pro is very invaluable. And I'm gonna thank him for that."
Will Lane Johnson be back with the Eagles in 2026?
The reality with Johnson is that he is getting older at 35, and he has been getting banged up more and more. This season, he left multiple games early before the foot injury in the Detroit Lions game in November would be the one that kept him out for the rest of the season.
While Johnson was on the field this season, though, it was clear that he was still one of the top five offensive linemen in the NFL. In 262 pass blocking snaps, he didn't allow a single quarterback hit or sack on the season.
Not only will Johnson have some decisions to make about his future, but the Eagles might have to start thinking about life without Johnson. They have been drafting linemen over the years, but none that would be considered a true successor to Johnson, so they might have to look in the 2026 NFL Draft to see if any would fit that profile.
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This is going to be an interesting offseason for the Eagles, with a lot of decisions coming up, but what will happen with Johnson in 2026?