Tough Guy Lane Johnson Opts Out of Core Muscle Surgery With Plans To Re-Join Eagles In Playoffs
Lane Johnson doesn't care if he has a season-ending injury; he's ready to make a comeback.
The four-time Pro Bowler, who's been having a standout year for the 13-2 Philadelphia Eagles' offensive line, is reportedly holding off a season-ending injury related to a core muscle injury with the hopes of returning this postseason.
Johnson suffered the injury Saturday against the Dallas Cowboys and appeared finished for the rest of the year.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Johnson opted out of the surgery after meeting with various experts, "including Dr. William Meyers in Philly." Johnson will now be playing through the pain and considering a return to the team after at least three weeks of rest.
His teammates have been lauding the 10-year veteran for being one tough mother.
"That’s who Lane is," responded fellow Eagles lineman Jason Kelce. "Obviously, he’s a guy who loves to play football, he’s been here for a long time. He’s put everything on the line for this team for a number of years. Doesn’t surprise me one bit."
Kelce says everyone in the organization will be monitoring the situation closely.
"We’ll see where he’s at in a couple of weeks, how he feels, him and the trainers and the medical staff will all sit down, and we’ll see."
"He's one of the toughest guys we've ever been around," Eagles HC Nick Sirianni said.
"Doesn’t surprise me Lane’s going to do that," commented left tackle Jordan Mailata. "It’s a very selfless thing to do and we started this journey back in OTAs, we knew what we were going to sacrifice. He’s just the embodiment of that. It’s a reason why he’s a captain."
Momentum heading into the NFL postseason was well on the Eagles' side until they lost Johnson, which spelled trouble for QB Jalen Hurts amid his MVP-level season.
Philly has been going through a spree of crucially injured players, including Jalen Hurts' shoulder sprain; defensive tackle Jordan Davis in concussion protocol; cornerback Avonte Maddox suffering a toe injury; and AJ Brown and Miles Sanders limiting their practices this week with knee injuries.