Lane Johnson's Absence is Due to a "Complicated" Family Matter
Lane Johnson didn’t play last week. A “personal matter” as described by head coach Nick Sirianni, who has respectfully decided not to divulge any details relating to the absence of his starting right tackle.
Earlier this week, a couple of local reporters noted that Johnson returned to Philadelphia, and Crossing Broad can confirm, via two sources, that Johnson was not available for the Chiefs game because he decided to drive back to Oklahoma.
Beyond that, it was described to us as a “complicated” family matter that trends into medical and other taboo areas. I know it sucks, because fans would like to know what’s going on, and should be kept in the loop, but there are ethical lines that we can’t cross in 2021, and so it has to be left at that.
What we can say is that this issue has nothing to do with his left ankle. Johnson had it surgically repaired in 2020, and described some swelling he experienced in 2021, but our understanding is that this “personal issue” is completely unrelated to any physical and/or football-type things. Prior to the Chiefs game, Johnson had played in 100% of the offensive snaps, which amounted to 187 over the course of three games. There was nothing concerning the ankle that was keeping him off the field.
That’s about it from us, though Gunner said this earlier today:
"I'm sure it will be hard to keep him off the field, but in the best interest of Lane Johnson, they may keep him off." – @RealDGunn https://t.co/aCQZsT0DQm
— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) October 7, 2021