If It's Motivation Eagles Veteran Needs, He Has It After Last Year's Snub

Days before the postseason began, as the Eagles prepared to host the Green Bay Packers in a wildcard game, right tackle Lane Johnson was nowhere to be found for a comment.

He had left the locker room before reporters were allowed in. It was so unlike Johnson, who usually is willing to do interviews. What he left behind said it all, though. Taped to his locker was a piece of paper comparing his stats to those of the Detroit Lions’ Penei Sewell.

The balloting for the All-Pro teams had been released earlier that day by The Associated Press. Sewell was on the first team at right tackle. Johnson was on the second team, and he felt snubbed.

Johnson had the last laugh. Sewell's Lions, despite being the number one seed, were unceremoniously bounced from the playoffs in a blowout loss to the Washington Commanders, who were then trounced in the NFC title game by the Eagles on their way to a second Super Bowl triumph.

The perceived snub was motivation for Johnson then and will be again this season, as he prepares for Year 13 at age 35. Sewell is entering Year 5 and is just 24. Both are excellent players, and the best at their positions. Still…

“Like anything you read you try to change,” said Johnson. “If someone has a bad opinion of you maybe you can get on the field and maybe change their narrative. That’s how I look at it. You just have more…do better stuff. Be more violent.”

That said, Johnson is preparing the way he always does, and isn’t much into making anything bigger than it is.

“I just try to stay consistent with my routine, how I prepare,” he said. “I know seasons end differently but for me it’s always pretty much the same. As soon as the season ends, I might take a week off, but really back into the routine. Whatever comes, I feel like I’m not gonna bend to how we played last year or things in the past.

“For us, I think we just have to stay hungry. We can’t be complacent; we can’t be satisfied. It’s really about dominating the day each day, and it’s a lot easier said than done.”