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It’s been two weeks since Lane Johnson tested positive for the novel coronavirus. On Tuesday, the Pro Bowl right tackle announced he was back in a big way.
Johnson, who left Eagles training camp on July 29, returned to the team facility after posting back-to-back negative tests for COVID-19. In true “Pave the Lane” fashion, the healthy 30-year-old took to Twitter to strike his best Stone Cold Steve Austin pose and announce: “I’m back.” He even tagged Austin in the post, along with UFC fighter Tyson Fury, UFC president Dana White and former wrestler Bill Goldberg.
The Eagles first announced the move earlier in the day when they declared Johnson had been activated from the Reserve/COVID-19 list. He joins Nathan Gerry on the active roster as the team awaits the return of head coach Doug Pederson and swing tackle Jordan Mailata.
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Pederson in Quarantine, Coaching Eagles Virtually
Assistant head coach Duce Staley has been guiding the team in Pederson’s absence, with the head coach joining Zoom meetings and instructing the team “virtually” since leaving on Aug. 2. He wouldn’t speculate on when he could rejoin the team in person.
“So obviously we’re taking this very seriously around our building, and in our everyday lives, and again, we need to continue to do so,” Pederson told reporters after his diagnosis. “We understand that things like this are going to happen. I have been able to talk to my staff about contingencies not only with players but also with staff members. When I’m back, I’m back.”
The best-case scenario for returning, according to NFL rules, is five days after testing positive but that varies for each person. The general rule of thumb has been to self-quarantine for 14 days. Pederson has been away from the team for nine days.
Jason Kelce Shares Reasons for Not Opting Out
Meanwhile, center Jason Kelce addressed why he decided not to opt-out with Philly reporters on Tuesday. His reasoning echoed what many of his teammates have shared in recent days. For starters, the 32-year-old is fairly young and has no underlying conditions and then he credited the Eagles for creating a safe working environment.
“First of all, I think it’s incredible that the option was there,” Kelce said, about opting out. “I think it was a great job by the NFL and the NFLPA to facilitate for guys, especially people that they or their family members were at heightened risk for this thing. For myself and my family, there wasn’t too much of a discussion about it.”
Kelce added that the protocols in place have put a damper on the inter-personal relationships normally forged at training camp. Make no mistake, he understands why and isn’t complaining about it. He just hopes the team chemistry doesn’t suffer as a result.
“Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand all the parameters in place to keep everyone safe but that somewhat comes at the expense of the personal connections,” Kelce said. “The ability to talk to new guys and forge relationships … it’s a little bit less so when a person is covering half their face with a mask as I think everyone has found out in the past year or so.”
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