Eagles Star Takes Another Step Towards Playoff Return

The Philadelphia Eagles returned to the practice field on Thursday and the signs are continuing to point to a potential return of offensive tackle Lane Johnson for the upcoming Wild Card Round showdown against the San Francisco 49ers.

The noise has been out there all throughout the week. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the expectation on Jan. 4 was that Johnson would be ready to go for the Eagles in the Wild Card Round after missing seven games. That was positive in itself, but there had been buzz about Johnson over the previous few weeks as well.

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After Johnson went down with his Lisfranc sprain, he wasn't placed on the Injured Reserve with the hope that he could return within four games. Seven games have come and gone since Johnson first went down. Now, could he have played in Week 18? Maybe, but the Eagles rested their starters so there is no way to know. Philadelphia faced the Buffalo Bills in Week 17, which would've been an intriguing game for him to come back because it was a matchup between two Super Bowl hopefuls and was a good measuring stick. Regardless, the Eagles are here now.

The Eagles are trending in the right direction

Sep 4, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson (65) and guard Tyler Steen (56) against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Johnson returned to practice on Wednesday in a limited fashion. On Thursday, he was back on the practice field when Philadelphia got to work.

Johnson and Johnson at Thursday practice pic.twitter.com/4KzmYeiy9D
— Ed Kracz (@kracze) January 8, 2026

All of the signs are pointing towards a return on Sunday and that should be what every Eagles fan out there is hoping for right now. The same way that Trent Williams is a catalyst of the 49ers' offense, Johnson is for the Eagles. When he's on the field, it makes things easier for everyone else. He remains one of the best, if not the very best offensive tackles in football when healthy. It's easier to run the ball with Johnson out there. When the Eagles run it well, it makes the passing game easier.

The offense is built with 11 players and they all have their jobs to do. Johnson makes everyone's life easier. If he's healthy enough to go on Sunday, that is a legit game-changer for the Eagles.

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