Editor's note: Lane Johnson announced his retirement on Tuesday, Oct. 6.
Without six-time Pro Bowl right tackle Lane Johnson and a horde of other starers, the shorthanded Philadelphia Eagles sputtered to one of their worst offensive performances in more than a decade in Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Ahead of a critical London matchup against the 3-1 Jacksonville Jaguars
, Johnson's status remains up in the air.Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said Monday there was "no update" on whether Johnson would rejoin the team this week after the offensive line's linchpin was a surprising inactive due to what the team cited as personal reasons.
Here's the latest on Johnson and what's ahead for the Eagles:
Lane Johnson update: Eagles staying mum on standout OT
Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata revealed after
the team's 24-20 loss to the Rams that he did not learn that Johnson would miss the contest until he arrived at Lincoln Financial Field that morning.
Beyond that, however, coaches and teammates divulged few details on the matter.
“I think you guys know he’s dealing with a personal matter and that’s really all I’m gonna say about that,” Sirianni said in a postgame news conference.
Said fellow offensive lineman Cam Jurgens: "“It’s tough because that’s one of our brothers. We miss him out there."
Johnson missed four practices during the early portion of training camp for personal reasons. Upon his return, he said the 2026 season would likely be his last, citing health concerns for his mother and his children's development among the motivating factors in his decision.
It was unclear, however, if Sunday's absence was a related matter.
Eagles offense hurting without Johnson
With Johnson out of the lineup, Philadelphia's offense sunk to a low it hasn't experienced in years.
The Eagles mustered just 172 yards of total offense, its lowest total since 2014. The offense also didn't convert a single one of its 12 third-down attempts, a franchise-worst since at least 1991 and the most tries for any NFL team that was shut out on that front since 2020, according to NFL research.
Meanwhile, quarterback Jalen Hurts had just 93 passing yards.
Some of the struggles could be attributable to injuries elsewhere. Running back Saquon Barkley left the game after suffering a hamstring injury on the second drive and did not return. His absence compounded the problems facing a unit that was already without Johnson, wide receiver DeVonta Smith, tight end Dallas Goedert and offensive guard Landon Dickerson.
But Johnson's absence took a particular toll on the Eagles' front – and perhaps further enabled the Rams to turn their pass rush loose. Los Angeles blitzed Hurts on 60.6% of his dropbacks and subjected him to the second-highest pressure rate of his career (57.6%), according to Next Gen Stats.
The loss only deepened the divide of how Philadelphia has fared with Johnson in the lineup (98-42-1) and without him (15-29).
“Very unfortunate for his unavailability today,” Hurts said after the game. “In the end, it just was a next man up mentality. Kept the focus on the team, kept the focus on us trying to go out there and be at our best. We had an opportunity to do that. A lot of respect for everyone that stepped in unexpectedly and even throughout the week, different roles, new opportunities, taking advantage of those in the end. This is one that you can learn from, obviously.”
If Johnson remains out for the London contest, the Eagles will have to find their way against a Jaguars pass rush that appears to be waking up. Though Jacksonville had he sixth-worst pass rush win rate of any team through the first three weeks of the season, the defense pressured Joe Burrow on 34.5% of his dropbacks in a 22-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, according to Next Gen Stats.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Eagles star lineman's status still murky after missing game for personal reasons
