Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson left the team's preseason game against the Green Bay Packers with a knee injury, but would play in the team's Week 1 game against the Atlanta Falcons.
The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane noted Johnson limped off the field after a failed two-point conversion attempt in the Packers game. The Eagles shortly announced his condition:
Philadelphia Eagles @Eagles#Eagles injury report: T Lane Johnson will be held out of #PHIvsGB with a left knee injury.
Matt Tobin replaced Johnson after he went down and is not nearly as experienced, despite breaking into the league at the same time, appearing in just 14 games over the past two seasons. Fortunately for the Eagles, they didn't have to worry about losing Johnson for long, as Eagles Insider received some news from PhiladelphiaEagles.com's Dave Sapardo:
Dave Spadaro @EaglesInsiderPer @davespadaro, Lane Johnson is OK with a knee injury, but will be held out as a precautionary measure. Will be fine for Week 1
Johnson has developed into a vital part of the Eagles' offensive line, starting in 28 games in his first two seasons in the league. He's worked well within a solid trio of linemen, according to the Philly Voice's Jimmy Kempski:
Jimmy Kempski @JimmyKempskiNot sure there's a better LT-C-RT trio in the NFL than Jason Peters, Jason Kelce, and Lane Johnson.
Johnson helped pave the way for the Eagles to become one of the league's best rushing teams, leading the NFL with 160.4 yards per game in 2013 and finishing ninth in 2014 with 124.5.
This season, he will still have a high-profile back to block for with new Eagle DeMarco Murray. The former Cowboy should be able to take full advantage of Johnson's blocking ability as he assimilates to his new surroundings.
Johnson's health will be imperative to Murray's success, as keeping him out for precautionary measures shows just how important it is that he rests up and is good to go by the start of the regular season. In a high-powered Chip Kelly offense, the Eagles' playmakers are going to need as much protection as possible in order to succeed.
