PHILADELPHIA — In case anyone was wondering, veteran Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson, who will turn 35 in May, has zero plans to retire after the Super Bowl.
In fact, he couldn’t have been clearer about it on Saturday.
“I’m definitely not retiring after this game, win or lose,” Johnson said. “I’m definitely playing next year. … When you get up in age, you take it one year at a time. But physically I feel a lot better than I have in the past couple years. I feel really good. For being this late in the year, it’s usually not like that. So, I’m thankful, and we have a good team here to help us out with all that.”
Johnson has had one of his best seasons, being named an All-Pro for the fifth time and a Pro Bowl selection for the sixth time. He said he and the Eagles are aiming to prevent a second-half collapse like the one they suffered two years ago in the Super Bowl against the Chiefs.
“I felt like we had a complete meltdown in the second half of the last Super Bowl,” said Johnson, adding that the Super Bowl halftime intermission will be a bit longer this time around. “Like anything, we can game plan all we want, but it’s really how we adjust between each series and really at halftime. So, us having a little bit more time to do that will be awesome.”
The Birds had a 24-14 lead at the half but ended up losing 38-35 two Februarys ago. One key to holding off the Chiefs will be handling vaunted defensive tackle Chris Jones, who sometimes lines up on the edge.
“Better strap up,” Johnson said of the challenge. “He’s one of the guys that can really go out there and dominate like he can inside. I just think his size – he’s 6-6, 315, 320, or whatever – and being able to bend like he can and do the things he can do, a lot of guys his size don’t have that athleticism.”
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The Eagles are designated the home team in Super Bowl 59, and as such, were given first choice of uniform color. But even if they wanted to wear their classic Kelly Green, the league wouldn’t allow it.
“Postseason uniform designation must include Primary Jersey color (team color or white) and Primary Pant color choices,” the NFL policy states.
That means the Birds will be sporting Midnight Green, which has been their main color since 1996. Since wearing the Kelly Green twice a year beginning in 2023, the Eagles are 4-0 in those unis. They also wore them in the 2010 season opener, a 27-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers, with Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick sharing time under center. It was the 50th anniversary of the franchise’s 1960 NFL Championship campaign, pre-Super Bowl era, in which the Eagles beat the Packers for the title.
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Retired Eagles tight end Brent Celek, who was in the Tunnel Club Lounge and high-fived coach Nick Sirianni on his way to the locker room after last Sunday’s NFC Championship win over Washington, has been helping the Birds in practice the last couple of days as they prepare to face Kansas City’s Travis Kelce.
Celek has taken snaps to give reps to Eagles defensive backs after Commanders tight end Zach Ertz, another former Eagle, had 11 receptions for 104 yards for the Commanders.
Celek, now a team consultant, played his entire pro career here (2007-2017).
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NOTES >> Las Vegas Raiders star pass rusher Maxx Crosby, 27, is projected to be a trade target ahead of the NFL Draft as Pete Carroll takes over as head coach. Crosby tweeted on Saturday, “I Will Be A Champion” along with emojis of an Eagle and a diamond. The Birds will have a need at the position next season. … The Eagles signed TE Nick Muse to the practice squad and released RB Lew Nichols from the practice squad. … Sirianni is just the third head coach to reach multiple Super Bowls in his first four years, joining Washington’s Joe Gibbs (1982 and ’83) and Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin (2008 and ’10).
Source: Berkshire mont