February 11, 2026
An actual NFL insider and a former Eagles superstar who occasionally likes to dish team intel both agree: Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson will play for the Birds in 2026.
The status of the team's cornerstone right tackle and future Hall of Famer has been the source of speculation since the 2025 season ended, with Johnson shelved for the final seven regular-season games and the team's Wild Card loss to the Niners because of a Lisfranc injury in his right foot.
Question about his plans going forward picked up last week when iconic offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland announced he's done coaching the Birds' O-line after 13 seasons. Stoutland is the only position coach Johnson has played for since entering the NFL in 2013 as the fourth overall pick.
But ESPN's Adam Schefter and former Eagles running back LeSean McCoy, on separate platforms, both said they're expecting Johnson to return for his 14th season.
Schefter, in his weekly interview with 97.5 The Fanatic, said he'd "be shocked" if Johnson didn't come back.
ESPN's @AdamSchefter on the future of Lane Johnson & Landon Dickerson
— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) February 11, 2026
“I do expect that Lane Johnson will be back. I have heard the Landon Dickerson conversation [on potential retirement], I don’t know how real it is or isn’t; but I’d be surprised if Lane Johnson isn’t back, I… pic.twitter.com/Ww1muq0XaX
Schefter wasn't so sure about left guard Landon Dickerson, who had two separate surgeries after the Eagles' Super Bowl LIX win over the Chiefs and never looked healthy for the 2025 season. Although he played in 15 games, Dickerson missed the Pro Bowl for the first time after making three straight from 2022-2024.
Schefter's sentiment was echoed by McCoy, who co-hosts the Speakeasy podcast with former Eagles linebacker and NFL analyst Emmanuel Acho.
On the latest episode, McCoy and Acho were debating the Eagles' chances of being elite again in 2026. Acho had concerns about the team's new direction on offense under new OC Sean Mannion. McCoy gave several reasons he expected the Eagles to be among the NFC's best and insisted that Johnson "ain't going nowhere."
Here's what he said:
"I talked to Lane. He ain't going nowhere. But I don't know about Dickerson because he’s been banged up. He's played with a lot of pain this year. But I truly feel confident that the Eagles ... all the oddsmakers, I'm sure they'll have us in the NFC side number one or two or three as going back to the NFC Championship game. I'm sure of that."
Johnson, who's made six Pro Bowl teams, two All-Pro teams and is the only offensive player in Eagles history to be part of both Super Bowl wins, has plenty of reasons to return, including the $41.7 million he's owed in cash to play in 2026.
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