It might not matter where he was, but just that Lane Johnson is finally back with the Philadelphia Eagles.
“Eagles T Lane Johnson has returned to the team and is expected to practice today, sources say,” NFL Network’s Mike Garofolo wrote on his official X account on Friday morning. “Johnson had been away for the better part of the last week with an excused/non-injury designation.”
Johnson’s return came 1 day after ESPN’s Bill Barnwell put him on a list of just a handful of current NFL players who seem like surefire future Pro Football Hall of Famers.
“Johnson has been the best right tackle in football when healthy for most of his career, which is usually an automatic path into the Hall,” Barnwell wrote on August 6. “Two factors might give voters pause. One is the number of injuries that have cost Johnson a couple of games or more per season over most of his career. The other is the pair of PED suspensions (and the resulting 14 games missed) that Johnson has incurred during his career. Johnson has suggested that he should be disqualified from Hall of Fame consideration as a result of the suspensions, and I’m sure there will be voters who aren’t willing to consider him. My belief is that it’ll be tougher for Johnson to get in, but as time passes, I suspect more voters will focus on his body of work and push the legendary right tackle into the Hall.”
LJ 1 of Most Legendary Eagles of All Time
Johnson, 36, has spent his entire career with the Eagles after he was a 1st-round pick (No. 4 overall) in the 2013 NFL Draft.
Headed into the 2026 season, Johnson is a 5-time NFL All-Pro, 6-time Pro Bowler and 2-time Super Bowl champion. He also has approximately $163 million in career earnings and is due to make another $23 million in 2026.
Johnson missed the final 7 games of the 2025 regular season with a foot injury and didn’t play in a 23-19 home loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wild Card Round.
There was some speculation Johnson might retire instead of returning for another year.
“With that Lisfranc injury that he had … there was speculation he needed to have surgery and he hasn’t had surgery,” former Eagles defensive end Hugh Douglas said during a radio appearance on February 5. “I don’t mean to be that guy, but I think he’s done. You would think at this point we would have an update on surgery if he’s had surgery … I’m recklessly speculating but I’m being honest. I think he’s gone. I think he’s just waiting to make the announcement.”
Eagles May Have Drafted Johnson’s Replacement
The Eagles may already have Johnson’s replacement on the roster in 2026 3rd-round pick Markel Bell.
Bell, 6-foot-9 and 346 pounds, has been filling in for Johnson during his absence and will almost certainly be counted on to add critical depth this season behind Johnson and another NFL All-Pro in left offensive tackle Jordan Mailata.
The Eagles were signaling their interest in Bell — nicknamed “the Human Skyscraper” — in the lead-up to the draft.
“Source: The Philadelphia Eagles are hosting Miami OT Markel Bell for a 30 visit,” NFL reporter Ryan Fowler wrote on his official X account on March 28. “Massive ballplayer at 6’9”, 346 lbs with 36 3/8 on the arm — 6th longest ever measured at the combine. Didn’t allow a single sack in 558 pass pro snaps in ‘25.”
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