The Eagles will play a right tackle whose last start was a game in 2021

One by one, the Eagles continued to rule out key players from Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Friday, it was receiver DeVonta Smith. Saturday, it was wide receiver AJ Brown. Sunday, it was right tackle Lane Johnson.

These are three key ingredients that the Eagles have used over the past two years to win numerous games and advance to the Super Bowl two seasons ago. With Johnson in the lineup, they won 88 games. Without him, they are 14-22.

So you understand the mountain the Eagles have to climb without three key pieces on the offensive side of the ball.

Fred Johnson will start in place of Lane Johnson, who was listed as questionable on the Eagles’ injury report Friday. Johnson made the trip to Tampa but was unable to meet the league’s concession protocol in time to play.

This will be Fred Johnson’s first start since the 2021 season with the Cincinnati Bengals, and only his ninth start since joining the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2019.

Fred Johnson played 54 snaps in relief of Lane Johnson in last week’s 15-12 win over the New Orleans Saints. He played well enough to earn praise from his head coach, Nick Sirianni.

“Fred is obviously very talented and has something you can’t teach: massive size, strength and athleticism,” he said. “He came here and got a fresh start here, and he worked his butt off.”

Johnson also received coaching from line coach Jeff Stoutland.

“Stout pushes him,” Sirianni said. “I told Stout (earlier in the week), when we were flying home on the plane, I was like, ‘Man, I like going to your house – once a week I go to the offensive line meeting room. I really enjoyed going into the offensive line meeting room and listening to that. And listening to Stout coach these guys, and how these guys react, and how these guys react.

“I know he pushed Fred. I heard him pushing Fred on Thursday in that meeting room, just to get better. ….all he cares about is Fred getting better, and then Fred puts in the time, the work, the effort to get better.

“Now Fred just has to build on that.” It’s a great springboard to build on and build on to continue playing better football.

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