An Unexpected And Unwelcome Surprise Could Impact The Eagles' Offseason Plans

The last time anyone laid eyes on Landon Dickerson, he was leaving the locker room at Lincoln Financial Field with a bag of ice strapped to a leg. The Eagles had just lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the playoffs on Jan. 1, and the left guard told reporters that he played through “a lot” this past season and wasn't sure when or if his body would fully recover.

Dickerson played through plenty last year. He took just a few days off after late-August meniscus surgery a week before the season opener, then struggled with back issues, a knee, and an ankle the remainder of the year. Despite all that, he missed only the team's Week 6 game. He didn’t play in Week 18 because none of the offensive line starters did.

Dickerson will still be just 27 when next season begins, but his body probably feels like that of a much older player after undergoing so much wear and tear. Will he be on the field for next year's opener? His health has come under scrutiny after an Inquirer podcast seemed to indicate the lineman could opt to retire.

In a league full of tough guys, Dickerson is right up there with the toughest, but how much punishment can a body take before playing the game isn’t fun anymore?

Lane Johnson Still Has Yet To Decide About Returning

The kicker is, there’s a chance both he and right tackle Lane Johnson could retire this offseason. If that happens, the Eagles could very well do a double-dip in the draft, taking an offensive lineman in both the first and second rounds. They did the double-dip in the 2024 draft when they went for a pair of cornerbacks in the first round, Quinyon Mitchell, and Cooper DeJean in the second. Both became All-Pros in just their second seasons.

There’s also a new offensive scheme coming with the hiring of offensive coordinator Sean Mannion and the departure of veteran line coach Jeff Stoutland.

Maybe it will be Dickerson who retires and Johnson returns. Or vice versa. If both leave, well, that would leave a mark.

Dickerson’s body has been through a lot over the course of his career dating back to his time at the Florida State through his time at the University of Alabama and then after being drafted in the second round by the Eagles in 2021.

To wit:

-As freshman at Florida State, he tore an ACL in his right knee after seven games.

-He lasted just four games the following year as a sophomore when his right ankle needed surgery.

-Dickerson took a medical redshirt as a junior when a sever left ankle sprain stopped him from playing after just two games.

-In his senior year at Alabama, his left ACL tore in the SEC Championship game, though he was brought back for the final snap of the championship game win over Ohio State.

-As a rookie, he missed training camp and Week 1 while rehabbing the ACL tear then had a thumb injury later in the season. The following year he suffered a foot sprain in Week 2 and then, in 2023, he had another injury to his thumb in Week 15.

Dickerson signed a four-year, $84 million extension back in 2024, which at the time made him the highest paid at his position in the NFL, although he has since been overtaken by the likes of the Kansas City Chiefs’ Trey Smith and the Dallas Cowboys’ Tyler Smith.

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