Lane Johnson
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Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata are going to benefit from Sean Mannion's offense.
Fans of the Philadelphia Eagles aren’t the only ones excited at the prospect of Sean Mannion’s offense.
Philadelphia star tackle Lane Johnson opened up about why he feels the new offensive coordinator’s offense will be better for both fans and offensive linemen in 2026.
Mannion, of course, takes over for Kevin Patullo, who struggled in his lone season as Eagles offensive coordinator. The Eagles finished 19th in points per game (22.3) and 24th in yards per game (311.2).
Mannion was an NFL quarterback, serving as a backup for the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings and studying under Sean McVay and Klint Kubiak in those stops.
Lane Johnson is ‘Excited’ About Sean Mannion’s Offense
Johnson has outlasted multiple offensive coordinators and head coaches over his dozen-plus years with the Eagles.
But after a year hallmarked by offensive struggles and injuries for the six-time Pro Bowl right tackle, Johnson is fired up for an offensive refresh. He compared Mannion’s offense to the San Francisco 49ers‘, while addressing why he feels it’ll be “easier” for both he and left tackle Jordan Mailata.
“I’m excited about this new system,” Johnson told the “Fitz & Whit” podcast, which is hosted by former NFLers Andrew Whitworth and Ryan Fitzpatrick. “I think it has some [Kyle] Shanahan implements in it. I think it will maybe be easier on the edge for Jordan and I.”
The Eagles offense seems tailor-made for a Niners-style system, since Saquon Barkley can be the Philadelphia version of Christian McCaffrey. Plus, the Eagles also have better wideouts than San Francisco, as long as A.J. Brown does not get traded.
Plus, they have huge, athletic tackles in Johnson and Mailata who can get on the edge and block smaller linebackers and defensive backs. That makes running zones with Barkley an easier proposition compared to the iso-heavy offense Patullo seemed to prefer.
“Maybe not as much isolation, and when you run some wide zone like the 49ers and the guy comes [into the] zone, you’re not worried about it and keep going, I could get used to that,” Johnson said. “I’m excited; I’ve watched these offenses from afar and was like, ‘damn, that looks pretty fun.'”
Lane Johnson is Disappointed Jeff Stoutland is Leaving
Having an offense that caters to Johnson’s athletic style is important, particularly since he will also be acclimating to a new offensive-line coach for the first time in his career.
Jeff Stoutland started as Eagles O-line coach in Johnson’s rookie year and has been with the star tackle all along. But Stoutland is leaving the organization and being replaced of Chris Kuper, which was disappointing to Johnson, and presumably the rest of the Eagles veteran-laden offensive line.
“He’s meant everything to me in my career,” Johnson said of Stoutland. “He was a guy that always got the best out of me. He knew how to motivate me. He knew what buttons to push, and I feel like we’re very similar in that we wanted to be the best that we could be while we’re in it. So, it was very unexpected.”