Philadelphia Eagles fans are hoping to be at near full strength for their NFC Wild Card game against the San Francisco 49ers, with right tackle Lane Johnson playing.
After being out for almost two months, The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane reported that Johnson was expected to practice ahead of the 49ers game. Some interesting commentary came in after that report, with NFL analyst Brian Baldinger, who is close to Johnson, wasn't expecting him to play in the game.
The next person to make a comment on Johnson's playing status is ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, who appeared on 97.5 The Fanatic to answer the question. Schefter's comments were certainly noteworthy.
"Without speaking to a single person this week about it, I’m going to tell you right now: I would be floored if Lane Johnson didn’t play on Sunday," Schefter said via Bleeding Green Nation's Brandon Lee Gowton. "Like, he’s going to be out there. Let me tell you right now, he’s going to be out there playing."
Adam Schefter with a bold statement about Lane Johnson's playing status
It's interesting that Schefter, without talking to anyone, would feel that strongly to say that Johnson is going to play. Baldy's comments were big because of his close relationship with Johnson, but Schefter is really putting himself out there to say that Johnson will play.
The Eagles would love to have Johnson back on the field as he hasn't played since the Detroit Lions game in November. He was well on his way to another Pro Bowl selection before the foot injury, allowing zero quarterback hits and sacks in 262 pass blocking snaps.
Philly has been rolling with Fred Johnson at right tackle and has held his own. There were some struggles at the beginning, but Fred held his own and helped the offense get back on track late in the regular season.
Read more: 49ers' stellar offense certainly has Vic Fangio's attention ahead of playoff game
Eagles fans are certainly banking on Lane Johnson playing in the game, but with so many conflicting comments and reports, it's better just to sit back and see what happens before getting their hopes up.