ClutchPoints
The Philadelphia Eagles received some excellent news ahead of their Wild Card round matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. Lane Johnson returned to practice on Wednesday and is expected to play this weekend. The veteran right tackle has been sidelined since suffering a Lisfranc injury against the Detroit Lions in Week 11.
While Johnson initially targeted Week 15 for a return, he was forced to sit out the final seven games of the regular season. The Eagles went 3-4 in his absence as the offense struggled to find consistency.
Johnson’s presence should give Philadelphia a big boost in the opening round of the playoffs. And fellow tackle Jordan Mailata is excited to have the All-Pro lineman back. “It was awesome, mate. I’m not going to lie to you. Missed him. It was great to see him out there,” Mailata said of Johnson’s return to practice, per NBC Sports’ Dave Zangaro.
The Eagles chose to sit their starters in the regular season finale. Nick Sirianni favored rest over seeding with the playoffs a week away. The decision cost the Eagles the No. 2 seed as a Week 18 win would have moved Philly up a spot with the Chicago Bears losing to the Lions.
But the Eagles couldn’t take advantage of the opportunity. The team lost to the Washington Commanders 24-17. As a result, Philadelphia earned the NFC’s No. 3 seed. And instead of hosting the Green Bay Packers this weekend, they’ll take on the 49ers. Sirianni is banking on the makeshift rest week allowing the team to get as close to full strength as possible at this point in the season.
Like Johnson, Jalen Carter returned to practice on Wednesday. The third-year defensive tackle missed three games with shoulder ailments before returning in Week 17. However, Carter dealt with a hip injury ahead of the regular season finale. Both Johnson and Carter are expected to suit up when the Eagles face the 49ers on Sunday.
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