For decades, the NFL has viewed left tackle as the premium position on the offensive line. But Eagles coach Nick Sirianni says the best tackle in the NFL is a right tackle — the one who plays for the Eagles.
Sirianni said Philadelphia’s Lane Johnson is the NFL’s best tackle, right or left.
“To me, Lane’s the best tackle in the NFL,” Sirianni said, via the Philadelphia Inquirer. “And I said tackle. I didn’t say right tackle.”
Sirianni was saying that after news broke that Johnson is putting off surgery in the hopes that he can return from an abdominal injury to play for the Eagles in the playoffs after he misses the final two games of the regular season. But Sirianni says there will be no pressure put on Johnson from the team, and that they can’t be certain they’ll have him in the postseason.
“You just never know what’s going to happen,” Sirianni said. “We don’t ever put a timetable on anybody. And so we’ll see where we’re at when we’re there.”
Where they hope they’ll be is at home for the playoffs, not playing until the divisional round, and with the best tackle in the NFL ready to play.