Veteran Reveals Eagles Coach Saved His NFL Career This Preseason

The Philadelphia Eagles finalized their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday after cutting it down from 90 players in training camp.

The Eagles didn’t have a ton of surprise cuts this summer as the players on the roster bubble stepped up and performed when their number was called. One of those preseason standout was backup offensive lineman Fred Johnson.

Johnson joined the Eagles in November 2022 after being cut by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and has improved to the point where he made the 53-man roster for two consecutive years. The 27-year-old offensive lineman spoke to the media Wednesday and credited Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland for saving his career.

“I was on practice squad (last year). I was mad at everybody. I was mad at any and everybody,” Johnson said via NBC Sports Philadelphia.

“When I got here, I was so hard-headed. I ain’t wanna listen to nobody, especially Stout. And Stout just said, ‘You know, I’m not going to quit on you. I’m not gonna give up on you.’ And that’s just, something that I appreciate him the most for, 'cause I was on my way out the league when I got in.”

It’s not surprising to hear Johnson talk about Stoutland in this manner as he’s viewed as one of the best position coaches in the league. He’s helped Jordan Maliata become one of the best left tackles in the league from a seventh-round pick and made players such as Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce evolve into future Hall of Famers.

And now this summer, we saw Stoutland reignite the career of former first-round pick Mehki Becton, who many discounted as a bust.

As for Johnson, it's easy to root for him because of his personality and the hard work he's put in to be a better player. Eagles fans will hope he can continue to develop and be a part of this team's future.

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