March 24, 2026
The Philadelphia Eagles are re-signing OT Fred Johnson, the team confirmed on Tuesday.
Johnson appeared in all 18 of the Eagles' games in 2025, and started nine. He played a career-high 626 regular season snaps, plus another 72 in the playoffs. He played 521 snaps at RT in relief of Lane Johnson, and 67 snaps at LT in the Week 18 "resting starters" game against the Commanders.
Johnson was fine enough in relief of Lane Johnson, but was pretty obviously a major downgrade, which is going to be true of any backup trying to fill the shoes of one of the best offensive linemen in NFL history.
Last offseason, Johnson signed with the Jaguars in hopes of competing for a starting job. He did not win a starting job in their training camp, and the Jags traded him back to the Eagles for a late Day 3 pick. Johnson wants to start, and knows that will not happen in Philly as long as Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson stay healthy.
Johnson likely tried to land with a team that offered a better chance to earn a starting spot, but now that we're more than two weeks into free agency, it seems those opportunities did not materialize. Instead, Johnson returns to the Eagles, where he has had his most success in the NFL, and certainly the Eagles should be happy to have him back as he has become a solid backup swing tackle.
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