Retired right tackle Lane Johnson was nowhere to be found on the Eagles’ public list of inactive players for their Week 5 game against the Jaguars, and it already caused more than a little confusion this Sunday morning. This isn’t just a minor slip-up, either, as Johnson officially retired but is still on the team’s 53-man roster for the rest of the season.
The Public List That Blew Up
When the Eagles dropped their “full list” of inactive players for Sunday’s matchup, Johnson’s name was conspicuously absent. Think about that for a second. A guy who retired, but is still on the roster, isn’t on the “inactive” list? That publicly implied to everyone that Johnson was actually active for the game, which is wild considering his announced retirement. This kind of public messaging just sets the stage for a messy situation.
So, What’s The Actual Deal With Johnson?
According to the Eagles, Johnson is indeed one of the inactive players. And to make it even stranger, the league confirmed that Johnson was specifically listed as inactive in the team’s internal communications with them. So, the team knew he was inactive, the league knew he was inactive, but the public list left him off. This isn’t rocket science, folks. If he’s not playing, put him on the inactive list with everyone else.
This whole thing is something to keep an eye on with every upcoming Eagles game. If they’re genuinely keeping Johnson on the 53-man roster despite his retirement, they gotta treat him like an active part of the squad in their public releases. Otherwise, it just looks like they’re trying to play both sides, and that never ends well.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
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