After addressing pretty much every position other than the offensive line during the opening weeks of free agency, the Philadelphia Eagles have circled back to bring back a big ugly to help protect Jalen Hurts in 2026: fan favorite swing tackle Fred Johnson.
Taking to social media to announce the move, Tom Pelissero revealed that the Birds will have Johnson for one more year as they look to shore up a line with multiple long-term question marks.
“The Eagles are re-signing OL Fred Johnson to a one-year deal, per source,” Pelissero wrote.
Initially going undrafted out of Florida in 2019, Johnson played three seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, plus one more with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, before joining the Eagles in 2023 as a project for then-offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland. Though he only played sporadically in his first year in midnight green, Johnson came in clutch during the Super Bowl season, starting six games while helping the run game as a sixth lineman in the other 11.
In 2025, Johnson joined the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency in the pursuit of becoming a starting offensive tackle, but after that option was removed from the table, he was traded back to Philadelphia to once again back up Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata, and company, starting eight games down the stretch at right tackle.
At 28, it makes sense that Johnson is still looking to sign a one-year deal in order to keep a future long-term contract on the table either in Philadelphia or beyond, but for now, the Eagles most certainly will get the best out of the former Gator, even if they really hope he doesn't play much outside of heavy packages.
