PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles are getting healthier when it matters most.

Right tackle Lane Johnson and inside linebacker Nakobe Dean returned to practice Wednesday, giving the Birds a jolt as they begin postseason push.

Johnson practiced on a limited basis for the first time since suffering a Lisfranc injury in the Nov. 16 win over Detroit, an absence that forced the Eagles to lean on Fred Johnson. Dean, meanwhile, was back in a limited capacity after a hamstring injury knocked him out for the final two regular-season games.

Johnson, 35, is six-time Pro Bowl selection is the engine of an offensive line that has weathered constant bumps and bruises, and Sirianni didn’t hide what Johnson changes — even if he stopped short of guaranteeing the veteran will be ready for Sunday.

“Obviously, Lane’s a big difference maker,” Sirianni said. “I know he’s working like crazy to get himself back. We’ll see where that is this week. But he’s a difference-maker. He’s one of the best who’s ever done it.”

Sirianni also emphasized how Johnson’s presence impacts what the Eagles can call, not just who lines up at right tackle.

“He’s one of the best that’s ever done it,” Sirianni said. “He allows you to do some different things… Lane is just a difference-maker and it can affect everything.”

Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean is helped off the field in the first half against the Green Bay Packers on Jan. 12, 2025, at Lincoln Financial Field. (Bill Streicher – The Associated Press)

Dean’s return carries its own weight. The 25-year-old linebacker opened the season on the physically unable to perform list after a knee injury suffered in last year’s playoff win over Green Bay, then climbed back into the lineup and played some of his best football down the stretch.

In 10 games this season, Dean totaled 55 tackles, four sacks, two forced fumbles, seven tackles for loss, six quarterback hits and a pass breakup. He’s a student of the game and a vocal leader.

And Dean, for his part, left little doubt about his intentions in the Wild Card round of the playoffs on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field (4:30 p.m., FOX).

“No doubt about it, I’m playing,” he said.

Dean said the postseason has a way of sharpening everything — the tempo, the focus and the stakes — and he sounded like a player eager to make up for lost time.

“It’s NFL playoff football. Time to turn it up a notch,” Dean said. “Everything kind of like cranks up — the speed gets a little bit faster, the players are locked in and teams don’t beat themselves in the playoffs. We have to beat them.”

The Eagles (11-6) have tried to thread the needle between protecting players and preserving rhythm, a balancing act that grew more pressing as injuries piled up. Sirianni suggested the late-season rest was part of the plan to keep the roster from fraying at the seams.

“Anytime they get some time off, that definitely helps,” Sirianni said. “It’s a long season, marathon of a season. These guys are warriors. They battle through things throughout the entire year.”

“You’re always judged in this league by your last game. You have to put the work in every single day to help yourself continue to get better, to put yourself in position to win each week and win in the playoffs.”

Philadelphia’s defense, in particular, has leaned into that daily grind, with Sirianni crediting improvement up front to steady technique and repetition rather than a sudden schematic fix.

“You’re on this journey of getting better,” Sirianni said. “Your block destruction gets better, your tackling gets better with the amount of time that you spend working on it.”

Wednesday’s practice also brought a playoff edge back onto the field. Outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips, who said he felt refreshed after a rare breather, described the subtle shift that comes with win-or-go-home football.

“There’s a different sense of urgency, I would say, but the preparation’s the same,” Phillips said. “But obviously when it is a win or go home, it’s definitely a different level.”

The Eagles will continue to monitor Johnson’s foot and workload and Dean’s hamstring as the week unfolds. But simply getting both on the practice field Wednesday moved the Birds closer to the version of themselves they’ve been trying to assemble — healthier, sharper and, with January here, more urgent.

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Wednesday injury report: DNP – TE Grant Calcaterra (ankle), OL Brett Toth (concussion) LIMITED – DT Jalen Carter (hip), LB Dean (hamstring), S Marcus Epps (concussion), TE Dallas Goedert (knee), RT Lane Johnson (foot). FULL – EDGE Azeez Ojulari (hamstring), EDGE Jaelan Phillips (ankle).

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Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X at @the_defranc for the latest updates.

https://www.mcall.com/2026/01/07/lane-johnson-nakobe-dean-back-in-action-for-eagles/