Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson sustained an abdominal injury that is expected to sideline him for the remainder of the regular season, a league source confirmed to The Inquirer on Monday morning.
Johnson, 32, was injured during the fourth quarter of the team’s 40-34 loss to the Cowboys on Saturday. He was replaced by reserve offensive lineman Jack Driscoll. Following Saturday’s game, Johnson was spotted leaving the visitors’ locker room sporting a medical bandage around his waist/groin area. Further tests revealed Johnson had torn a tendon in his abdominal area.
The Eagles are hopeful that Johnson will return for the postseason, although that could depend on how his body responds to treatment over the next several weeks, a league source said.
Johnson, a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro selection, has been a key anchor to one of the NFL’s best offensive lines since the Eagles selected him with the No. 4 pick in the 2013 draft. He hasn’t allowed a sack in 28 games, which is the longest streak in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.
”He’s just dialed in,” tight end Dallas Goedert said recently. “Anytime he gets his hands on somebody, it’s game over. That record is a [heck] of a feat. Anytime he steps on the field, he’s the best tackle there is.”
Johnson initially suffered an abdomen injury earlier in the month during the Eagles’ Week 14 victory over the New York Giants. At the time, Johnson described his injury as a “tweak” to his “lower right ab/oblique area.” While Johnson missed the second half of that game, he was back in the starting lineup the following week in Chicago.
Over Johnson’s 10 seasons, the Eagles are 72-44-1 (.620) when he plays, and just 12-20 (.375) without him in the lineup.
The Eagles have two remaining regular-season games against the New Orleans Saints (Jan. 1) and Giants (Jan. 7/8) at Lincoln Financial Field. They can clinch the NFC’s No. 1 seed, which would secure them a bye week along with home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, with one more victory. If the Eagles are able to lock up the conference’s top seed, their first playoff game would be on either Jan. 21 or 22 at Lincoln Financial Field
