Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson is entering his 10th NFL season with a bold outlook. Last year, Johnson sat out three games while dealing with depression and anxiety. Johnson came back to help Philadelphia reach the playoffs and was named second-team All-Pro, despite appearing in only 13 games.
Now 32, Johnson believes the next two years will be the peak of a long career. "I feel like my best football is coming," Johnson said, adding that any speed lost to age has been replaced by power. Johnson also says the current body is bigger and stronger than the one that played during the Super Bowl season, and that overall health is much better than a year ago.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni backed that assessment. Sirianni said Johnson is playing with confidence and skill at a very high level, and added that Johnson has earned that confidence because "he's a heck of a football player."
In baseball news, the Phillies open a three-game home series against Miami at Citizens Bank Park at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday. Right-hander Zack Wheeler, who is 10-5 with a 2.69 ERA, is scheduled to start against Marlins left-hander Braxton Garrett, who is 2-5 with a 3.88 ERA.
The Phillies have also changed how they handle the late innings under interim manager Rob Thomson. Rather than lean on a designated closer with set-up men for the seventh and eighth, the club uses a matchup-based approach in the bullpen. That shift has turned one of the team's biggest weaknesses into a strength, and some observers believe the current run could carry the team into the postseason.
The Flyers and the ECHL's Reading Royals announced Monday that they have extended their affiliation for two more seasons. The Royals, who have been the Flyers' affiliate since 2014, will now remain so through at least 2023-24. Reading finished last season with the ECHL's second-best record, and three former Royals players were called up to the Flyers.
Pete Rose's appearance at the Phillies' Alumni Weekend on Sunday continued to dominate reader mail. Columnists and fans questioned whether the club erred by bringing him back. Opinions were sharply divided. Some readers called the invitation a blunder and criticized Rose's behavior in the broadcast booth, while others argued that his role in the 1980 championship earned him a place at the celebration. One reader wrote that Rose "is the reason that team won a Championship."
Elsewhere, the Baltimore Ravens have now won an NFL-record 20 straight preseason games, and they are 18-1-1 against the point spread over that stretch.
