After all the chatter about whether Lane Johnson will actually be playing for the Philadelphia Eagles in their Wild Card game against the San Francisco 49ers, one image just washed all that talk away.
Multiple Eagles reporters shared images of Johnson suited up and on the field with his team. Also, linebacker Nakobe Dean, who has been out the last two weeks with an injury, was on the field with the team. This would be the second time Johnson has done so, as he also suited up before the Week 18 loss to the Washington Commanders, but ultimately did not practice that day.
Johnson has been out of football since hurting his foot against the Detroit Lions in November. While the Eagles have not placed him on IR, he has continued to rehab and prepare to get on the field soon enough.
Could the Eagles finally get Lane Johnson back in the starting lineup?
Johnson is as important a player as it gets on the Eagles' offense. For a unit that has struggled mightily, Johnson has been one of the few bright spots.
The problem with Johnson this season is that he has left multiple games early with injuries, including against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Los Angeles Rams, the Denver Broncos, and the Lions. When he was on the field, he played at an All-Pro level, allowing zero sacks and quarterback hits on 262 pass-blocking snaps for the season.
Filling in for Lane has been Fred Johnson, who has done a fine job replacing him. The offense saw some life late in the season when Fred Johnson was playing better at right tackle, but Lane is too important to the offense not have him on the field.
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Reporters and analysts can talk all they want about their predictions on whether Johnson will play or not, but a picture can say a thousand words, and those words are cheers from the Eagles fan base that he is one step closer to playing.