Eagles 28-Year-Old Open To Exit For Starting Job

The Philadelphia Eagles will have an intriguing decision to make...

Dec 25, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; General overall view of the Philadelphia Eagles logo in the locker room corridor during an NFL football game between the Oakland Raiders and the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Eagles have a handful of free agent decisions to make this offseason.

Among the Eagles' pending free agents, the guys who have gotten the most buzz early on are Dallas Goedert, Jaelan Phillips, Nakobe Dean, and Reed Blankenship. But they aren't the only guys heading to the open market. Another veteran to watch out for is veteran offensive tackle Fred Johnson.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

The 28-year-old is a seven-year veteran and has spent the last three seasons with the Eagles. He actually signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars ahead of the 2025 season after winning Super Bowl LIX with the Eagles but he was traded back before the 2025 campaign.

Now, Johnson is heading back to the open market and he opened up about free agency to PennLive.com's Johnny McGonigal.

The Eagles OT is heading to free agency

Dec 8, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Fred Johnson (74) looks on in the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

“I feel like I proved this year that I’m a starter in this league,” Johnson said to McGonigal. “I don’t think there’s any going back now. There’s no going back to the swing tackle role, the guy who fills in. I think I’ve shown that I’m a starter, and I’m here to get what I deserve...

“I just need an opportunity, whether that’s here or somewhere else. This place gets first rights. I’m going to listen to what Howie (Roseman) has to offer and go from there.”

Johnson isn't wrong. With Lane Johnson missing the final seven games of the regular season and the Wild Card Round game against the San Francisco 49ers, Fred Johnson filled in and did a very good job. While this is the case, Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata both are under contract. Unless a change is made, Fred Johnson wouldn't have a clear path to a starting role in 2026, so it will be interesting to see what happens in free agency.

If Johnson ends up walking in free agency this offseason, it was a good run in Philadelphia. He's 28 years old, is a seven-year veteran, and should help a team next season -- whether it's Philadelphia or not.

More NFL: Eagles Superstar Has Uncertain Future In Philadelphia