By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Editor
When the Eagles lost Lane Johnson against the Patriots and were again without him against the Seahawks due to a concussion, it became clear to see just how important he is to the Eagles offense.
With the team recently extending long snapper Rick Lovato, kicker Jake Elliott and right guard Brandon Brooks, the team saw fit to extend Johnson on Friday afternoon.
Thank you to the Lurie family, Howie, Coach Pederson, Stout, the @Eagles organization, my teammates, and #EaglesNation! PHILLY FOREVER! #flyeaglesfly #pavethelane #probowlvote #lanejohnson pic.twitter.com/oPLI3UWaB9
— Lane Johnson (@LaneJohnson65) November 29, 2019
The Eagles now have Johnson under team control through 2025.
Mike Garafalo of the NFL Network reports it is the largest deal for an offensive lineman in the NFL.
Sources: The #Eagles have agreed to a four-year, $72 million extension with right tackle Lane Johnson that includes $54.595 guaranteed. It is the largest contract for an NFL offensive lineman in history on a per-year and guarantee basis.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) November 29, 2019
He later clarified that the guaranteed money is actually $54.959 million.
One of the biggest factors in Brandon Brooks suffering a setback with his anxiety was the loss of one of his biggest supporters in Lane Johnson. It would make sense that the team would want Johnson around for as long as they have Brooks, especially considering that the duo are All-Pro talents.
Johnson’s new deal will not take effect until 2022, so there are two more seasons to be played before Johnson sees the AAV on this deal – at which time there will likely be plenty more linemen with extensions that exceed that of Johnson.