If you were wondering what the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and general manager Howie Roseman were doing with a war chest full of draft picks, we now know.
Roseman and the Eagles are wheeling and dealing and pulled off 3 trades on August 24, with the second one bringing back offensive tackle and Super Bowl champion Fred Johnson from the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a 2026 seventh round pick.
“Another Eagles trade: Jaguars are sending OT Fred Johnson back to Philadelphia in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round pick, per sources,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account. “Johnson now returns to the team he played for from 2022-‘24.”
The Eagles opened the day by tradieavyng with the Minnesota Vikings for backup quarterback Sam Howell and followed the Johnson trade by sending a 2027 sixth round pick to the Green Bay Packers for offensive tackle Darian Kinnard.
It was also the fourth trade in the last week for the Eagles, who acquired wide receiver John Metchie and a 2026 sixth round pick from the Houston Texans in exchange for tight end Harrison Bryant and a 2026 fifth round pick on August 18.
The Eagles open the NFL regular season on Thursday, September 4, against the Dallas Cowboys in Philadelphia.
From Undrafted to Lengthy NFL Career
Johnson, 6-foot-7 and 326 pounds, made 32 starts in 4 seasons at the University of Florida but went undrafted in 2019.
Johnson signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent then spent 3 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, including on an AFC Championship team in 2021.
In 2022, he played the first part of the season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before coming to the Eagles, where he’s been a reliable backup and more. Johnson has played in every regular season game over the last 2 seasons — 34 consecutive games — including a career high 6 starts in 2024 on the way to winning the Super Bowl.
He signed a 1-year, $1.33 million contract with the Jaguars on March 19.
Johnson Could Help Eagles in Unique Way
Johnson’s versatility could be the key to helping the Eagles in 2025. He started the majority of his college career at guard and has played both guard and tackle in the NFL.
“Source confirms the Eagles are bringing back their backup tackle Fred Johnson,” NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark wrote on his official X account. “They are trading for him with the Jaguars giving up a late round draft pick next year. The Eagles needed to make sure they had a good backup OT.”
The Eagles needed to make sure they had a good backup offensive lineman for several injuries they’re dealing with for superstar players up front.
NFL All-Pro left offensive tackle Jordan Mailata has been out since August 19 and is still in concussion protocol, while 3-time Pro Bowl guard Landon Dickerson has been out for the last 2 weeks after undergoing a meniscus procedure on his knee but could return for the regular season opener.
The Eagles signed both Mailata (3 years, $66 million) and Dickerson (4 years, $84 million) to massive contract extensions before the 2024 season.
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