Lane Johnson’s silence after Eagles win has fans fearing the wrong move

When Johnson speaks, Eagles fans listen. His choice of words like “too predictable” and “production isn’t matching the talent” only fueled speculation that head coach Nick Sirianni could make a change at offensive coordinator to shake things up.

That didn’t happen. In fact, Sirianni doubled down on Patullo, and Johnson surprisingly chose to muzzle himself in the locker room following Sunday’s huge, bounce-back win at Minnesota.

Philadelphia Eagles captain Lane Johnson’s refusal to speak to the media was a step too far

Johnson used the post-game scene at U.S. Bank Stadium to make a silent statement.

The only thing resembling a “quote” from Johnson after the Vikings win was, “No more,” according to Jeff McLane  of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Reading between the lines, Johnson either regrets the Anderson interview, or got some heat from teammates and/or coaches for speaking the brutal truth last week. Eagles brass would obviously prefer Johnson deliver that message behind closed doors, rather than through the media, where it will get aggravated into oblivion.

Philadelphia’s offense also responded with 28 points and 361 net yards against one of the most stingy defenses in the NFL — on the road, no less — so it’s hard to hand Johnson a slice of humble pie; his message clearly resonated.

The real story here is Johnson’s most recent comments. “No more” insinuates that he’s done speaking with the media altogether. That’s never the right approach from a true professional like him. Fans want to hear from team leadership after tough losses; it’s Johnson’s job as a leader to be that guy, just like he was after the Giants game.

Let’s not get Johnson in trouble for something he didn’t do. Staying quiet and keeping it about the team, after getting a little too honest last week, was totally respectable.

But some kind of extended media boycott would be a terrible look for one of the most prominent players in the NFL. Johnson said what he said. He wasn’t done dirty by the media.

Let’s hope this doesn’t become a thing, because as Philly fans definitely know, it definitely will if Johnson pulls another media no-show in Week 8. His silence after the Vikings game was understandable, but he's better than that moving forward.