Fred Johnson, one of the top remaining offensive tackles in free agency, has re-signed with the Philadelphia Eagles on a one-year deal, a league source told The Athletic on Tuesday.
Johnson was ranked No. 67 in The Athletic’s Top 150 free agents and entered free agency as the fifth-rated offensive tackle.
The seven-year veteran turns 29 in June. He started eight games for the Eagles in 2025 and played 59 percent of the offensive snaps. Johnson allowed a pressure rate of 5.6 percent and was penalized five times.
Johnson was a free agent last March and sought a better opportunity elsewhere, signing a one-year deal with Jacksonville. He could not land a top job, and the Jaguars traded Johnson back to the Eagles before the season. He was a welcome addition in Philadelphia, which valued Johnson as a top reserve behind right tackle Lane Johnson and left tackle Jordan Mailata. That swing tackle role led to significant playing time the past two seasons, although it’s not a full-time starting role.
At 6 feet 7 and 326 pounds, Johnson is a physical offensive tackle who developed under former Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland. He bounced around the NFL earlier in his career after going undrafted out of Florida in 2019, and Stoutland helped him reach a different level with the Eagles upon joining Philadelphia in 2022.
“You can’t coach size, and you can’t coach effort. Those are two things he has,” Mailata said. “You watch the film, he has effort, but what makes him unique is his size. Not everyone with his size, his strength, can play the way he does.”
What it means for Philadelphia
Johnson’s value to the Eagles has been evident during the past two seasons when he’s stepped into the starting role to replace the bookend tackles. Although Johnson has expressed his desire to find a top job elsewhere, his return presumably means he was not viewed as a sure starter around the NFL. In that case, the fit in Philadelphia makes the most sense — especially considering the injury histories of Mailata and Lane Johnson. Fred Johnson’s playing time shows that the swing tackle has a good chance of getting on the field with the Eagles.
An unknown is that the Eagles have a new offensive line coach (Chris Kuper) and a different blocking scheme. Johnson’s best development came under Stoutland, who valued the size and tools that Johnson offered. Still, he’s one of the best offensive linemen remaining, and the Eagles needed a veteran tackle. Myles Hinton and Cameron Williams, two late-round picks last year, are the next tackles on the depth chart.
The Eagles are likely to add to the offensive line in the draft, so it’s not a certainty that Johnson is the top reserve. But this move at least gives the Eagles an experienced option after they were forced to trade for Johnson last August because they lacked sufficient depth at offensive tackle.
Eagles sign Elijah Moore to one-year deal
The Eagles also signed Elijah Moore to a one-year deal on Tuesday, a source told The Athletic.
Moore, a 2021 second-round pick, was a medium-volume receiver for the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns for two seasons before joining the Buffalo Bills in 2025. He recorded just nine catches for 112 yards in nine games in Buffalo, but he offers the Eagles more veteran depth at outside receiver. He totaled more than 100 targets in each of his seasons with the Browns.
Moore was also A.J. Brown’s teammate and roommate at Ole Miss. They played together during the 2018 season, when Brown led the Rebels with 1,320 yards and six touchdowns.