ClutchPoints
When news broke that Jeff Stoutland wasn’t returning to the Philadelphia Eagles for the 2026 NFL season, it marked the end of an era for one of the longest tenured and most well-respected assistant coaches in franchise history.
For young players like, say, Tyler Steen, this might not be the biggest difference, as he’s only in Year 4 with the program, but what must it be like for a player like Lane Johnson, who has spent more than a decade playing under Stoutland and only Stoutland? Well, on Tuesday, he broke that down while speaking to the media at the podium, noting that he will miss his mentor as much as he will miss his coach.
“Yeah, I mean, it was a shocking ordeal for me. But, you know, after being in the league all these years, you know, you can kind of see when things, you know, aren’t going the way that we want to. But, you know, for me, it’s just I’m trying to learn a new offense and do the best I can with that,” Johnson said.
“But, yeah, I mean, as far as replacing Stout, it’s going to be hard to, you know, replace that kind of guy in my life. Being the mentor and just, you know, my coach all these years. But, you know, with how our system is now, there’s a lot to learn. I really like Coach Kuper a lot. And so I think, you know, hopefully our offense won’t be as stagnant as what it was last year. We’ll be able to evolve some.”
Johnson also commented on what the Eagles’ new offense will look like, noting that for the first time in his career, Coach Kuper will send another body to “Johnson Island” from time to time for support.
“Hey, man, I’m about it. You know, Coach Kuper played for lots of years in the league. So not only coming to me as a coach, but as a player. Got a lot of respect for him. Super smart. I just think how this offense here will help us,” Johnson explained.
“You know, I think we’re just stretching the field, stretching the defense more. You know, I think it’ll help us with our run blocking angles. I think it’ll help us some in pass pro. Yeah, so I’ve never had, like, any guard help all these years. Like, it’s always been one-on-one. So having the ability, if I get beat inside, having a guard come out and help me is a big deal for me.”
Widely considered the best pure pass-blocking right tackle in football for his ability to hold things down one-on-one on the outside, imagine what Johnson will look like if he does get some extra help on the perimeter against elite edges like new Los Angeles Rams rusher Myles Garrett. Fortunately, fans won’t have to imagine that scenario for too much longer, as Week 1 will be here before they know it.
"Me likey"
Lane...
