Fred Johnson spent some time at his locker on Sunday night in the aftermath of the 16-9 win over the Detroit Lions, peeling off his uniform, showering, and then dressing to leave Lincoln Financial Field. Once again, a call to the bullpen was made in the direction of Johnson, who stepped in for the injured Lane Johnson and played 62 snaps, many of them against star Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson.

Johnson, Fred that is, earned the slow exit as well as a growing media contingent surrounding his space in the back corner of the room.

"Hell of a player. Explosive as heck," Johnson said of the battle with Hutchinson. "Relentless. Great technician. If you aren't on your game, he's gonna get you. I mean, one of the best and, man, it was tough out there."

Johnson is used to being in tough spots.

Amid the flurry of moves Executive Vice President/General Manager Howie Roseman has made this season, maybe the most underrated was the one that brought Johnson back to Philadelphia. Roseman flipped the Jacksonville Jaguars a seventh-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft to bring Johnson back to the Eagles.

The return on investment in that trade? Huge for the Eagles.

"Great football player," right guard Tyler Steen said. "Fred can step right in and play football. He knows our system and he's talented and he works hard. So glad he's back."

So are the Eagles, especially in light of the foot injury suffered by Lane Johnson in the Detroit game. For Fred Johnson, who played in all 17 regular-season games (with six starts) and in the four postseason games during the 2024 Super Bowl LIX campaign, it is all part of the business.

"It's my job. We all know that we're one play away, so you stay ready," Johnson said. "It's just a normal thing for me. I'm gonna go out there and play football like I know I can."

His NFL story is a great one, an example of believing in yourself in the face of adversity and then, when you find the right situation, listening to those who are preaching the gospel. Johnson joined the NFL in 2019 as a non-drafted rookie with the Steelers, and that didn't work out too well, so he signed with Cincinnati and had a few strong moments from 2019-2021 before moving on to Tampa Bay for a season.

In February of 2023, Johnson signed a futures contract with the Eagles and, honestly, nobody paid it much attention. The Eagles were coming off a Super Bowl loss to Kansas City, the offensive line looked stacked, and, besides, who makes it when they sign a futures contract, anyway?

Well, Johnson did.

The Eagles saw the gifts Johnson brought to the table – huge body, excellent feet, long arms, and a want-to. The Eagles liked Johnson so much that spring and in Training Camp that they signed him to a two-year contract in August and through the 2023 and 2024 seasons, he was a key reserve – a sixth offensive lineman who was essentially a tight end when the offense went to a "jumbo" package – and when he was needed to play in place of Lane Johnson.

Fred Johnson logged 481 offensive snaps in the regular season and another 16 in the playoffs and has himself a World Championship ring. The opportunity knocked in free agency and he answered with a move to the AFC South and Jacksonville.

Roseman's move to bring Johnson back was a smart one and particularly important given the offensive line picture now.

"We all believe in each other and that's the way we're going to roll," Johnson said. "Keep fighting. Keep working hard and do what Stout tells us to do. I know I have a lot of room to improve. We all do. We haven't played our best game yet, so that's the goal. Keep winning and keep getting better and fight with whatever we have.

"We just want to do our part. Help the team win, no matter what that requires."

The Eagles know it. They love it. They trust it.

"The history with Fred shows he's going to work extremely hard, he's going to know what to do," Offensive Coordinator Kevin Patullo said. "He's playing tight end for us, and all of a sudden, he's playing tackle. There's a lot of confidence in that. He's a really good player, an extremely big person and personality, fun to be around, and he cares, so it's cool to see a guy like that get an opportunity."