October 17, 2023

Report: Lane Johnson has Grade 1 ankle sprain, could be back for Week 7

The latest report surrounding Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson's ankle injury is that it's a Grade 1 sprain and that he could return for the team's Week 7 game against the Dolphins.

By Shamus Clancy
PhillyVoice Staff

Eagles fans can breathe a momentary sigh of relief on the Lane Johnson front. Understandable pessimism pervaded throughout the Delaware Valley on Sunday when the All-Pro right tackle limped off the field in the Meadowlands, not returning to the game as the Eagles fell to the Jets.

An MRI provided a positive prognosis for Johnson's recovery and a new report from the Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane is even more encouraging. McLane reports that Johnson has a Grade 1 ankle sprain and could even miss no further time, returning to the lineup for the Eagles' Week 7 matchup with the Dolphins.

Johnson is a warrior and seeing him play through this injury isn't a surprise. He's the game's premier offensive tackle and a Hall of Fame talent. That's an immediate boost with how inept the Eagles' offense looked without him in Week 6. Given how backup right tackle Jack Driscoll faired in Johnson's absence only makes this potential return even more important.

What does a Grade 1 ankle sprain entail? What's the typical recovery time here?

Here's an orthopedic surgeon's take...

"Grade 1 means you just tweaked your ankle ligaments, but they're not torn. They're all intact. That's obviously the best," says Dr. Eric C. Gokcen, a surgeon at St. Mary Orthopedics.

"That's great news that it's a Grade 1 because that means the ligaments are completely intact and they just kind of got tweaked a bit," Gokcen continued. "Everyone's a little different in how they respond and recover, but, in general, a Grade 1 sprain, people recover much, much quicker. With just taping him up and putting on an ankle brace, it would be very likely that [Johnson] will be playing this weekend. I'd be very surprised if he's not."

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and guest authors and do not reflect any official policy or position of any NFL team or a team's athletic physicians.