There are significant changes coming to the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive line, with starting right tackle Lane Johnson not going to be in the picture for the time being.
Johnson is expected to miss four to six weeks after suffering a Lisfranc sprain in his foot during the 16-9 win over the Detroit Lions in Week 11. That has opened the door for Eagles fan favorite Fred Johnson to step up as the new starter at right tackle for what looks like the rest of the regular season.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni spoke with the media, addressing his confidence in Fred Johnson filling in for Lane Johnson. Sirianni was honest about Fred Johnson playing at right tackle, backing him 100%.
“You look at past experiences. You show Fred playing really well against Cincinnati last year, or whatever the game may be. You say, 'Hey, you're the next guy in,' or whatever it may be. I can't remember exactly how it went down, but imagine it was something like that. Be ready for when your number's called. You just never know when that's going to be, and that's every backup. Every guy's one snap away from going in. Like I said, we have a lot of faith in him. There's a reason why we were putting him into playing those big packages because we have a lot of faith in him. For what we were trying to do, we felt like he was one of our best eleven to do what we were trying to do on those particular plays. So, obviously, the faith is high there, and he's earned that”
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni is confident in Fred Johnson filling in for Lane Johnson
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) November 19, 2025
“You look at past experiences. You show Fred playing really well against Cincinnati last year, or whatever the game may be. You say, 'Hey, you're the next guy in,' or whatever it may be. I can't… pic.twitter.com/TNu78o4MgK
Fred Johnson is no stranger to starting for the Eagles
This Eagles team has had their fair share of injuries on the offensive line over the last few years, and Johnson has been a massive help in that department. Last year, he started in six games, helping out at left tackle when Jordan Mailata was hurt, and the offense performed perfectly fine with him in the lineup.
There were Eagles fans who were disappointed when Johnson did not re-sign with the team and took his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Thanks to some quick thinking by Eagles general manager Howie Roseman in the preseason, the Eagles righted the wrong and traded for Johnson.
It's been the same thing this year as Johnson has come up big for the Eagles on the line. Back in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams, when Matt Pryor got destroyed at right tackle in place of Lane Johnson, it was Fred Johnson who came to the rescue and helped spark a massive comeback to win the game.
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Never overlook the importance of having good depth on the offensive line. Fred Johnson is a shining example of someone who has helped this team in the best way possible.