The extra week of rest from Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni looks like is going to pay off dividends.
First, The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane shared that starting right tackle Lane Johnson is expected to work out in the first practice of their NFC Wild Card preparation against the San Francisco 49ers. Johnson has not played or practiced since the Detroit Lions game in November when he injured his foot, but was suited up for practice last week before the loss to the Washington Commanders in Week 18.
#Eagles RT Lane Johnson is expected to practice on Wednesday for the first time since he suffered a Lisfranc foot injury vs. the Lions on Nov. 16, per NFL sources.
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) January 6, 2026
Johnson has made progress in his recovery, but still has to test his right foot before the team makes a decision on…
The other big update came from Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who spoke with reporters. Fangio told them that he expects linebacker Nakobe Dean to play against the 49ers after missing the last two games with a hamstring injury in the Week 16 win over the Commanders.
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Johnson would be arguably the most critical player to return for the Eagles, as he has been one of the top offensive linemen in the NFL throughout the years. He hasn't allowed a quarterback hit or sack in his first 10 starts of the season before his injury.
Fred Johnson has been lining up at right tackle and has done a good job. Lane Johnson is a future Hall of Famer, though, so the Eagles would benefit significantly in the passing and running game to have him back in the starting lineup.
Dean missed the first part of the season recovering from his knee injury last year, but came back with vengeance. In 10 games, he's racked up 55 tackles, seven tackles for loss, six quarterback hits, four sacks, two forced fumbles, and one pass deflection.
Where Fangio has used Dean well is on blitzing situations where Dean has been one of the best in the NFL at. Dean's pure strength and speed make it a headache for offensive linemen to handle him.
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This doesn't mean Johnson will play, but getting him back, along with Dean, is huge for the Eagles as they prep for the 49ers in the NFC Wild Card.