The best way to prove your worth to any employer is for them to struggle when you’re not around. Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson is staying put in Philadelphia for the long-haul and he’s getting a massive raise in the process.
After watching the Eagles offense implode without him over the past two weeks, Johnson and the team agreed to a four-year, $72 million extension that includes $54.595 guaranteed, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports.
The move ensures the Birds offensive line stays intact for the near future and with the Dolphins game approaching, here are four takeaways from the massive new deal.
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1. Johnson is now the highest-paid lineman ever
The Eagles gave Johnson a four-year, $72 million extension with $54.595 guaranteed. It is the largest contract for an NFL offensive lineman in history on a per-year and guarantee basis.
2. Lane Johnson is valued like a Left Tackle
Johnson plays right tackle for the Eagles, but he’s definitely viewed with the importance of a left tackle and his numbers show it.
The $18 million per season and the $54 million guaranteed are more than any other left or right tackle in the NFL and it’s more than Taylor Lewan got from the Titans.
3. Eagles line stays intact for foreseeable future
With the Johnson signing, the Eagles’ core of the offense will remain intact as a unit for years to come.
Johnson is the second lineman the Eagles have locked up this month after right guard Brandon Brooks signed a four-year deal that made him the highest-paid guard in the league.
With Brooks and Johnson locked in for the long term and the Birds’ selecting left tackle Andre Dillard in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, the Eagles are set at offensive line.
4. Eagles missed Johnson while he was gone
It’s always said that you never know what you have until it’s gone. Johnson has performed at a high level this season and then he exited the Eagles Week 11 loss to the New England Patriots with a concussion.
From that point on the Eagles, offense slowed to a crawl, and matters got worse when Johnson was forced to miss the Week 12 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The level of line play drops dramatically without him, and now his bank account will increase dramatically.
