Lane Johnson on Monday morning released a statement about his personal battles with anxiety and depression and said he’s returning to the Eagles after a three-game hiatus.
Johnson, 31, was a last-minute scratch before the Kansas City game and then missed the next two games against Carolina and Tampa Bay. The team said his absence was because of a “personal matter” and there weren’t anymore details given until Monday morning.
Here’s Johnson’s full statement:
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“I would like to thank everyone for their understanding and support over the last two weeks. I appreciate the positive notes and messages as I’ve worked hard to restore my personal life. Depression and anxiety are things I’ve dealt with for a long time and have kept hidden from my friends and family. If you’re reading this and struggling, please know that you are not alone.
“I am excited to re-join my teammates & coaches. I’m grateful for the entire Eagles community and look forward to continuing to play in front of (the) best fans in the world!”
"Yeah, that’s big," head coach Nick Sirianni said to 94WIP on Monday morning. "Obviously, Lane is a big part of everything we want to do here. He’s a great player, great person. Look forward to seeing him in the building and getting him back out there ready to roll."
During his absence, Johnson’s coaches and teammates continually expressed their support for him without revealing his personal matter.
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"We just want our players to know that we’re all here to support them at any time," Sirianni said, "anything they’re going through, good, bad and that’s what a team does. And that’s what we do here in this organization.
A first-round pick back in 2013, Johnson is one of the longest-tenured players on the roster. He’s also a three-time Pro Bowler and the Eagles have traditionally been much better with him on the field. The Eagles were 1-2 in this stretch without him.
The Eagles will resume their schedule on Sunday in Las Vegas coming off a mini bye week after playing on Thursday night. Johnson’s status is unknown but if he’s fully back and ready to play, the Eagles will have their Pro Bowl right tackle back in the starting lineup.
If that happens, it would likely mean the Eagles slide Jordan Mailata back to his spot at left tackle and go with an offensive line like this: Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Jason Kelce, Jack Driscoll, Johnson.
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