Getty Eagles tackle Lane Johnson
It’s been nearly two years since the Eagles marched triumphantly down Broad Street. It was all a blur to legions of fans — and the players on the team.
Starting right tackle Lane Johnson has been making the media rounds this week at the Pro Bowl in Orlando. One of the funniest exchanges came in a no-holds-barred interview with former teammate Chris Long on his Green Light podcast.
The two friends joked around about the incredible parade in Philadelphia after the Eagles won Super Bowl LII. The players were happily chugging beers atop the tour buses while fans did likewise in the streets. Even head coach Doug Pederson caught a beer from one lucky fan.
To the surprise of no one, Long admitted that the players themselves were “wrecked” for the entire celebration. Johnson added that he was “going crossed eyed.”
Then, team officials asked the tipsy football stars to say a few words at the podium at the top of the Art Museum’s famed Rocky Steps. How did that go?
Here’s a quick snippet of that conversation, via SportsRadio 94WIP:
“How about when we were standing behind the podium and they were like, ‘Ya’ll wanna talk?'” Long asked.
“My eyes were (expletive) going crossed eyed, I was so blurred,” Johnson remembered.
“We were so (expletive) wrecked,” said Long. “And it’s one of those things where it’s like, this is a terrible idea but I also don’t know when we’ll every be able to do this again, so we might as well.”
Johnson Thinks Right Tackles Have Been Disrespected in NFL
Lane Johnson is quick to update his Twitter account when he feels slighted. It happened quite a lot in 2019, from being omitted from Sports Illustrated lists to not being selected to the Pro Bowl.
Coincidentally, the beefy right tackle was added as a last-minute reserve and has been practicing with the NFC squad this week in Orlando. But Johnson still hasn’t forgiven voters for not selecting him on the original ballot.
Pro Bowl vibes. 😎🤙 #FlyEaglesFly
In fact, he believes right tackles get overlooked far too often by the more glamorous position of left tackle. That may be an unfortunate residual chain reaction from the popularity of the movie “The Blind Side.”
No matter, Johnson needed to say something.
“I’m just trying to validate right tackles — that’s really it,” Johnson told The Athletic‘s Zach Berman. “It’s still seen as a left tackle’s game. I’m trying to change that.”
🦅🦅🦅🦅 #flyeaglesfly #probowl
Just missing Big Baller Brooks! @bbrooks_79
Johnson will play in Sunday’s game in Orlando. He was chosen as the replacement for Green Bay left tackle David Bakhtiari on Monday. Perhaps ironically, the Eagles made Johnson the highest-paid right tackle in football last November when they signed him to a four-year, $72 million contract extension that included $54.595 million in guaranteed money.
The 29-year-old will be joined at the Pro Bowl by three teammates: center Jason Kelce, defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, long snapper Rick Lovato. Right guard Brandon Brooks was selected to the team but withdrew due to injury.
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