Welcome to The Linc, the daily Philadelphia Eagles links roundup at Bleeding Green Nation!
Lane is a legend. While I do think he’s properly getting his flowers following his retirement announcement, I do wish the damper of “How do the Eagles replace him?” wasn’t also a necessary discussion right now. Wish he could’ve made the decision back in the offseason to allow more space for celebrating him without interruption. To be clear, this isn’t to criticize Lane. He clearly wasn’t ready to make the call
back then. That’s understandable. Things change. You can’t always anticipate how you’re going to feel down the road. In any case, here’s to one of the greatest Eagles players we’ll ever see. Glad we all got to witness his excellent career and come to know him as a fellow human. I know offensive linemen aren’t the most popular jersey choices for fans but I do hope to see more No. 65s out in the wild.
Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …
Eagles legend Lane Johnson retires: Five thoughts on the announcement – PHLY Eagles
1) Lane Johnson is the best player I’ve covered in my eight years reporting on this team. He was the type of ruthlessly efficient offensive tackle that didn’t always grab your attention on a down-in, down-out fashion, but the consistency with which he singlehandedly erased even the league’s top edge rushers solidified his status as one of the best offensive linemen in modern NFL history. Johnson went whole seasons without allowing not only sacks, but pressures during his career. And he did so in a way the Eagles built an entire offensive philosophy around. They’d have two of the league’s best offensive tackles, and they’d leave them both isolated on islands in pass protection as a result. Perhaps that arrangement didn’t get the recognition it deserved throughout Johnson’s career; his five All-Pro honors somehow feel insufficient for the player he was and the impact he had on the game. So did his omission from the NFL’s Top 100 players going into this season (something that didn’t seem lost on him upon his return to training camp a few months ago). None of this should change what most in Philadelphia already know: Johnson was one of the best players of a generation and belongs in the Hall of Fame.
Lane Johnson gave the Eagles greatness. To Philadelphia, he meant something more – The Athletic
“The best …” I can’t tell you how many times during the past decade I’ve heard that word used to describe Lane Johnson — from teammates, coaches, executives. “No question about it in my mind that he’s the best player I’ve ever been around,” Nick Sirianni said. “He’s the best offensive lineman that’s f—ing come through the Eagles,” Cam Jurgens said. “One of the best players ever to play his position in NFL history,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said. “Best tackle in the NFL,” team security chief Dom DiSandro said. “For the past decade, Lane has been the best right tackle in the NFL,” Jason Kelce wrote Tuesday. Saquon Barkley called him the best player on the team. Howie Roseman called him one of the greatest to play the game and said he changed how the NFL views right tackles. Take their word for it.
Taking stock of the Eagles’ offensive line after Lane Johnson’s retirement – BGN
The Eagles’ offensive line situation right now is far from ideal. As a unit, they already weren’t playing very well while healthy. And now they’re losing their best player with Johnson retiring. And it’s not like Jeff Stoutland is here to help get the most out of the remaining talent. The Eagles have had seasons from hell in the past when their offensive line has gone to crap. Unfortunately, 2026 might just be another one of those years.
NFC East Mixtape Vol. 196: Week 5 Preview | Cowboys on TNF | Eagles in London – NFC East Mixtape
A new week is upon us and it is a quick one at that. The Dallas Cowboys will be in action shortly as they will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night. Can they get above .500 for the first time this season? Elsewhere in the division, the Philadelphia Eagles are on the verge of falling apart and a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London just might be the tipping point. Finally, the New York Giants will visit the Washington Commanders and if the home team loses… is their season over? RJ Ochoa and Brandon Lee Gowton discuss on the latest episode of the NFC East Mixtape! You can see that we have a BRAND NEW NFC East Mixtape YouTube Channel so make sure to subscribe as the show will live here exclusively in video format. AND you can also listen to the show! On Blogging The Boys and/or Bleeding Green Nation podcast feeds as well as the SB Nation NFL Show feed!
Jaguars keep climbing in NFL power rankings entering Week 5 – Big Cat Country
The respect is finally coming. After taking care of business in Week 4, the Jacksonville Jaguars now sit at 3-1. They have a convincing first-place lead in the division — and their chances to earn the top seed in the conference continue to rise. “I don’t think we really care about the credit,” safety Antonio Johnson said Monday. “We’re going to go into each week, and if you don’t look at us as an imposing defense, then we’re going to impose our will on you. If you don’t respect us, then we’re going to make you respect us. I know personally, in the rooms that I’ve talked to the players, we don’t care about the respect. You don’t respect us, cool. We’re going to make you respect us, so we’re not even tripping about that.” As Week 5 approaches, we rounded up the latest NFL power rankings to get a sense of how the Jaguars are viewed nationally.
Eagles player review: Markel Bell’s debut against the Rams – PhillyVoice
I don’t think Bell is ready to start. Opposing defenses are going to throw everything they can at him, and my guess if that we’re going to see him struggle. I also think the Eagles should just start him anyway. Let him get as many reps as he can, allow him to improve, see what he has, and let his performance guide whether or not the team still needs a replacement for Johnson next offseason, or if Bell shows enough that he can be the guy. However, I do think there’s a chance that the coaching staff might prefer to play the far more experienced Fred Johnson if they still have delusions that they are Super Bowl contenders. Of course, Johnson missed the last two games with a knee injury, so that might not even be an option, for now.
NFL Week 5 latest intel, buzz questions, news, fantasy tips: What we’re hearing – ESPN
Are any coaches’ seats warming a little early? […] Graziano: Yeah, barring a massive turnaround, you have to think someone ends up in trouble with the Chargers. Head coach? GM? Quarterback? All of the above? Also, what happens if things turn really bad in Philadelphia? Obviously, the Eagles aren’t afraid to move off an offensive coordinator after one disappointing season, but could things get bad enough that Super Bowl-winning head coach Nick Sirianni has to start watching his back? […] Fowler: With Philly, it has been proved that if owner Jeffrey Lurie and GM Howie Roseman identify a problem on the field, they will find a solution. Sometimes that involves the head coach. Another up-and-down season would inevitably keep Sirianni’s name in the leaguewide conversation, despite him winning 70% of his games and having a Super Bowl ring. But this is Philly, where anything is possible.
Why Lane Johnson called it a career four games into the 2026 season, and what’s next for the Eagles – Inquirer
Lane Johnson had thought about retiring along with Jeff Stoutland. The plan was that they’d “go out together,” something they had “talked about before last season,” a source familiar with Johnson’s thinking told The Inquirer. The Hall of Fame-bound right tackle was initially devastated when Stoutland walked away from the Eagles in February, a move that was precipitated by the organization’s decision to change its offense and strip the longtime offensive line coach of his run game coordinator role. “I think it’s my sign,” Johnson told a few confidants at the time. But he didn’t want to make a rash decision. He wanted to hear out Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion and Stoutland’s replacement, Chris Kuper. He was encouraged by what he heard about the Kyle Shanahan-Sean McVay scheme they had planned to implement in Philadelphia.
Jordan Mailata reacts to Lane Johnson’s abrupt retirement – NBCSP
Just a couple hours after Lane Johnson abruptly announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday afternoon, his teammate Jordan Mailata made an appearance on 94WIP. And Mailata was still processing the news. “Still kind of shocked by it all,” Mailata said to the afternoon show. “Still a hard one to swallow to be honest. To be honest, I’m not going to comment on Lane’s retirement. I don’t want to speak for him or speak on this. I think it’s just heavy. It’s heavy to deal with right now. I’m still processing my emotions, let alone also trying to remember all the times we had. A lot of memories to unpack when I think about Lane. I just think about how much I’m going to miss him moving forward.”
Eagles DC Vic Fangio: Number of snaps impacted defense against Rams, but have to finish – PFT
The first Rams scoring drive started at their own 2-yard-line and the second covered 79 yards. Los Angeles only faced two third downs on the 21 snaps that made up those possessions, which led to a question for Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio about whether the cumulative effect of being on the field for 82 snaps — including penalties, but excluding one kneeldown at the end of the game — wore the unit down. “Well, I’m not going to insult your or anybody’s intelligence that yeah, it has an effect, but we got to find a way to finish,” Fangio said, via a transcript from the team.
Spadaro: Darius Cooper is doing it the right way, on and off the field – PhiladelphiaEagles.com
Darius Cooper understands the NFL business, so when the Eagles revamped their wide receiver room in the offseason with the additions of Makai Lemon via the NFL Draft and Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore in free agency, there were no guarantees for Cooper. Not that there ever have been, anyway. “I’ve had to work from the bottom my entire career,” he said. “Nothing new here.” That’s the mindset Cooper has had since his college days at Tarleton State from 2020-2024 and it is absolutely the way he has approached the NFL from the moment the Eagles signed him as an undrafted free agent following the 2025 NFL Draft. Cooper earned a spot on the team’s 53-man roster as a rookie, contributed 9 catches, 92 yards, and the role of the “dirty work” wide receiver playing more than 200 snaps on offense, and helping mightily as a special teams player. In his second season, Cooper has taken his game up a notch and we’re all seeing it in living color.
NFL Power Rankings, Week 5: Cowboys, Pats rising at quarter mark; unbeaten Vikings fall out of top 10 – NFL.com
21) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES. Sunday’s loss to the Rams represented a new low for Philadelphia’s offense, which was missing a collection of key contributors. Its performance could be excused by the absences, including an early exit from Saquon Barkley, but the fashion in which the Eagles let the game slip away is more concerning. Philly’s defense hasn’t been as good as expected, either. This team must figure things out quickly with Jacksonville, Carolina and Dallas up next.
The Ringer’s Quarter-Season NFL Power Rankings – The Ringer
17) We could chalk up their early-season struggles to the losses of former offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland and receiver A.J. Brown (now in New England), but these problems existed while both were there—dating back to the team’s Super Bowl–winning season in 2024. What’s changed is that the Eagles defense is no longer the best in football. Now, when the offense stalls, it’s costing this team games, as it did during Los Angeles’s comeback win at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles are trying to prevent things from going totally sideways, but the next stretch of their schedule will require Hurts and this group to keep pace with some great opposing offenses. If Hurts turns in more passing performances like we’ve seen lately, the losing will continue in Philadelphia.
Steelers sign former Browns defensive end – Behind The Steel Curtain
Henry had stints with the Eagles in 2024 (on the team for Super Bowl LIX) and 2025.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are signing defensive end K.J. Henry to their practice squad, Mike Garafolo reports. Henry spent last year with the Cleveland Browns and was most recently with the San Francisco 49ers this past summer.
Colts sign WR Quez Watkins to practice squad; release CB Elijah Culp from practice squad – Colts.com
Quez Watkins, 6-0, 193 pounds, has played in 49 career games (25 starts) in his time with the Philadelphia Eagles (2020-23, 2025), Arizona Cardinals (2025) and Pittsburgh Steelers (2024). He has totaled 98 receptions for 1,249 yards (12.7 avg.) and six touchdowns. Watkins has also registered 14 kickoff returns for 200 yards (14.3 avg.). He has appeared in five postseason contests (one start) and has caught six passes for 55 yards (9.2 avg.). Watkins was originally selected by the Eagles in the sixth round (200th overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Southern Miss. In 2025, he spent most of the season on Philadelphia’s practice squad but did not see game action.
Patriots waive linebacker Jose Ramirez from 53-man roster, make changes to practice squad – Pats Pulpit
Ramirez, 27, had joined the practice squad in Foxborough as the calendar turned to September after clearing waivers at the NFL’s cutdown deadline. Three weeks later, the 6-foot-2, 252-pound edge rusher was promoted to the active roster. He notched one tackle and appeared in two games from there, seeing 30 snaps between special teams and defense. Entering the NFL in the sixth round of the 2023 draft at No. 196 overall, the former MAC Defensive Player of the Year by way of Arizona, Riverside City College and Eastern Michigan checked into four career games before heading to the AFC East. Beginning his run with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Ramirez spent last year with the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats before circling back with the Philadelphia Eagles on a futures contract in January
Buffalo Bills sign defensive back to practice squad with ties to Jim Leonhard – Buffalo Rumblings
A.J. Woods is high-caliber athlete despite his undrafted status. At the Pittsburgh Pro Day in 2024, he measured in at 5’10” and 187 pounds and ran 4.40 with a 37.5” vertical, 123” broad jump, and a blistering 6.70 time in the three-cone drill. He was a teammate of Bills safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson in 2024 when the Eagles won the Super Bowl.
Browns bringing in a former CLE WR for a workout before Week 5 vs Jets, reportedly – Dawgs By Nature
Proche participated in Eagles mandatory minicamp earlier this year on a tryout basis.
James Proche III could help fill that role if his workout goes well on Tuesday. A sixth-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2020, Proche has played for three teams, including last year with the Tennessee Titans. Primarily a kick return specialist, Proche has only caught 34 passes for 364 yards in 71 career games. He has returned 68 punts and 60 kicks, including 41 punt returns for Cleveland spread over two seasons.
Khalil Mack trade rumors: Landing spots for the Chargers pass rusher – SB Nation
Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys are always looking to upgrade their defense and Jerry Jones would likely jump at the chance to add Mack to the mix. Their pass rush has been lacking since trading Micah Parsons last year.
After a month of games, are the Cowboys a viable playoff team? – Blogging The Boys
But, the Cowboys have added Joey Porter Jr. The defense seems to be taking incremental steps forward, you can kind of glimpse the future they are shooting for. They will get Tyler Smith back, one of the best players in the league. And given the context of their opponents so far this season, their schedule isn’t as daunting as once thought. But, that is a lot of hoping. The defense very well may stay a liability as the pass rush is anemic. Two sacks against a poor Texans offensive line doesn’t change that. And special teams look like they will let us down at various points this season no matter what.
6 storylines for NY Giants-Washington Commanders: Prepping for Jayden Daniels – Big Blue View
The Giants manipulated their roster against the Arizona Cardinals is such a way that McCarthy was QB3, with Harbaugh saying it was “unrealistic” for J.J. McCarthy to be able to function in a full backup role. Harbaugh, though, admitted that there were “certain plays that we had prepared for” McCarthy. They ended up choosing not to use them. That could change this Sunday. Harbaugh said on Monday that McCarthy being the No. 2 quarterback behind Jameis Winston this week is “definitely on the table.” McCarthy is not the runner Jaxson Dart is. In 10 games, he has averaged 3.7 rushes per game for 4.9 yards per carry. Dart, an excellent runner, averages 6.1 rushing attempts per games and 5.6 yards per carry. Still, McCarthy is an athletic 23-year-old who offers the Giants the chance to keep the quarterback run game in the playbook. I am going to guess that we see a little bit of it against the Commanders.
Is there cause for concern with Commanders RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt? – Hogs Haven
The Commanders run game is a quandary. The commitment to it is fine. Offensive coordinator David Blough continues to call for runs at an appropriate rate. The numbers look just sort of okay. You take away the quarterback runs, though, and an eyebrow gets raised. We aren’t talking about a nuclear winter, here. We’re just making folks aware that the bedrock of this offensive system isn’t hitting on all cylinders. The bottom line stats, as we’ve mentioned, can also be skewed by mobile quarterbacks. Here’s what we’re trying to get to in this long introduction: the curious case of Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who is averaging less than four yards per carry over four games. That number dropped to less than two over the last two games, with Rachaad White unavailable on Sunday against the Colts.
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