His NFL story is a great one, an example of believing in yourself in the face of adversity and then, when you find the right situation, listening to those who are preaching the gospel. Johnson joined the NFL in 2019 as a non-drafted rookie with the Steelers, and that didn't work out too well, so he signed with Cincinnati and had a few strong moments from 2019-2021 before moving on to Tampa Bay for a season.
In February of 2023, Johnson signed a futures contract with the Eagles and, honestly, nobody paid it much attention. The Eagles were coming off a Super Bowl loss to Kansas City, the offensive line looked stacked, and, besides, who makes it when they sign a futures contract, anyway?
Well, Johnson did.
Stoutland saw the gifts Johnson brought to the table – huge body, excellent feet, long arms, and a want-to. The Eagles liked Johnson so much that spring and in Training Camp that they signed him to a two-year contract in August and through the 2023 and 2024 seasons, he was a key reserve – a sixth offensive lineman who was essentially a tight end when the offense went to a "jumbo" package – and when he was needed to play in place of Lane Johnson.
Fred Johnson logged 481 offensive snaps in the regular season and another 16 in the playoffs and has himself a World Championship ring. The opportunity knocked in free agency and he answered with a move to the AFC South and Jacksonville.
Roseman's move to bring Johnson back was a smart one and particularly important given the offensive line picture now.
"We all believe in each other and that's the way we're going to roll," Johnson said. "Keep fighting. Keep working hard and do what Stout tells us to do. I know I have a lot of room to improve. We all do. We haven't played our best game yet, so that's the goal. Keep winning and keep getting better and fight with whatever we have.
"We just want to do our part. Help the team win, no matter what that requires."
The Eagles know it. They love it. They trust it.
"The history with Fred shows he's going to work extremely hard, he's going to know what to do," Offensive Coordinator Kevin Patullo said. "He's playing tight end for us and all of a sudden he's playing tackle. There's a lot of confidence in that. He's a really good player, an extremely big person and personality, fun to be around, and he cares, so it's cool to see a guy like that get an opportunity."