Lane Johnson missed three games earlier this year due to what he described as depression and anxiety. He returned to Philadelphia prior to the Las Vegas game and has been back in the starting lineup at right tackle ever since.

Johnson didn’t say much beyond the message he shared on his Twitter page a few weeks back, but he recently sat down with FOX’s Jay Glazer and revealed this about his absence:

Johnson reveals that he was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder in college. He admitted that he was “miserable” and knew that his mind and body were not right. He was throwing up blood and experiencing tremors in his hands, noting that he’s dealt with this for a long time.

Obviously society looks at mental health differently in 2021. It used to be that you were supposed to “man up” or stop being a “pussy” or however you want to phrase it. But talking about anxiety and depression isn’t seen as a form of weakness the way it once was, and that’s led more people to be open and honest about the issues they face, even football players, who historically have represented the alpha side of the male spectrum.

You never used to see things like this:


 

But good for Lane, for real. It can’t be easy to sit down and talk about that, and it seems like he’s in a much better place now, having done so.