Eagles OT Lane Johnson out for rest of regular season due to abdominal injury
Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson suffered an abdominal injury against the Dallas Cowboys that will knock him out for the rest of the regular season, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport.
“Eagles Pro Bowl OT Lane Johnson suffered an abdominal injury that will knock him out the rest of the regular season (two more games), sources say,” Rapoport wrote on Twitter. “TBD after that.”
The Eagles are playoff bound but it remains to be seen if they’ll lock up the No. 1 seed over the next two weeks. At best, Johnson could wait to come back until the Divisional Round should Philadelphia lock up the best record in the NFC.
Johnson was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma by the Eagles. He is a four-time Pro Bowler and was First-Team All-Pro in 2017.
Johnson is the latest Eagles’ starter to suffer an injury as quarterback Jalen Hurts missed Saturday’s game with a shoulder injury but could push to play Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.
With the Eagles at 13-2, the team has a two game lead over the Cowboys for the top spot in the NFC East and No. 1 seed. Philadelphia is a game ahead of the Minnesota Vikings as well within the NFC, but hold the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Currently, Dallas has a 4-1 record within the division while the Eagles sit at 3-2 with a game against the Giants remaining in Week 18. The Cowboys play the Washington Commanders the final week, should it come down to that in the event of an Eagles’ loss to the Saints Sunday.
Gardner Minshew filled in for Hurts against Dallas in a shootout loss. In his first start of the year, Minshew finished 24-of-40 passing for 355 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
The Eagles held a 34-27 lead but saw the Cowboys score the final 13 points.
“Right now, I can feel the temperature in the locker room and the players and I think this is a really pissed-off team right now,” Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox said. “We didn’t like the outcome of what went on today. We know the type of club that we are and I think this team is really pissed off.”
The Eagles head to New Orleans Sunday Jan. 1 needing just a win for the No. 1 overall seed and NFC East crown. Dallas’ slim division title hopes are alive as the Cowboys head to Tennessee for a date with the Titans Thursday Dec. 29