The Eagles can breathe a sigh of relief.
Lane Johnson is coming back.
The Eagles’ star right tackle announced Thursday he will be returning for his 14th NFL season in 2026, The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane reported.
Johnson’s decision comes after he missed the Eagles’ final eight games of the season, including their Wild Card playoff loss to the 49ers, with a Lisfranc injury.
For the first time in over a decade, Johnson will play under a new offensive line coach, though.
Following its season-ending defeat, Philadelphia offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland resigned from the position after his duties as run game coordinator were reportedly cut by head coach Nick Sirianni midway through the campaign.
He’d been with the Eagles since 2013, becoming a key contributor to their two Super Bowl runs.
The Eagles hired Chris Kuper to replace Stoutland on Feb. 9.
Kuper was an offensive guard with the Broncos from 2006-13 and served as the Vikings’ offensive line coach from 2022-25.
He’ll be joined by new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, who replaces Kevin Patullo after he struggled in his first year on the job.
Along with Johnson, Kuper inherits an experienced offensive line that includes established veterans Jordan Mailata and Landon Dickerson, though Dickerson’s future is uncertain due to recent injuries.
The guarantee that Johnson will return also makes Kuper’s job easier.
Johnson has made six career Pro Bowls and is a two-time First Team All-Pro in 2017 and 2022. He’s also played at least 10 games in eight of the last nine seasons.
The Eagles, meanwhile, look to rebound from their early postseason exit. A year after convincingly winning Super Bowl 2025, this past campaign was a weird year for Philadelphia.
It won the NFC East for the second straight season but was inconsistent throughout the season. Two four-game winning streaks were followed by two- and three-game losing skids.
Everything came to a head against San Francisco in the playoffs, where the Eagles mustered just 19 points and surrendered a late fourth-quarter touchdown in their loss.
As Philadelphia tries to bounce back in 2026, it’s surely elated to have Johnson back to help lead the charge.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
