PHILADELPHIA — Recognizing Fred Johnson in a people would were difficult as soon as the Philadelphia Eagles began coaching camp in July. Superb what 5 weeks can do for somebody’s while. 

Johnson was once unusually short from the Eagles closing hour nearest a powerful coaching camp, having many questioning what went incorrect in Philadelphia. The solution was once not anything, only a process had to get the offensive take on out of his futures guarantee so he may just signal a two-year extension. 

Johnson by no means was once topic to waivers as a vested veteran, so Philadelphia was once by no means at risk of dropping him. A trade choice allowed the Eagles to rip up his prior guarantee and provides him a fresh one, the primary multiyear extension ever delivered to the desk in Johnson’s occupation. 

“After five years you start wondering, ‘Am I just a journeyman? Am I just this and that?'” Johnson mentioned nearest the preseason finale Thursday. “So when they said the extra year and you know put some numbers (guaranteed money) behind it, I was just like, ‘What else are we waiting for?'”

The travel towards Johnson’s extension in Philadelphia is one many NFL gamers enjoy. A undrafted isolated agent in 2019, Johnson has began 8 video games and performed 28 for the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He’s been waived or spared 3 times, the primary occasion through the Pittsburgh Steelers nearest being a tradition squad call-up to the game-day roster for 5 consecutive weeks. As soon as the Steelers waived Johnson, he was once signed from their apply squad to the Bengals — extra there for 3 seasons sooner than being waived once more. 

The Buccaneers gave up on Johnson halfway via closing season and he ended up at the Eagles apply squad. Johnson wondered whether or not he nonetheless had a while within the NFL sooner than Philadelphia took a anticipation on him. 

“Everywhere else I’ve been, you know I’ve been waived, I’ve been picked back up, I’ve been picked back up and waived — all types of things,” Johnson mentioned. “I’ve been waived halfway through the season. It’s only so much you can (take) before you start thinking, ‘Damn, am I really worth it?'”

Philadelphia may were Johnson’s closing anticipation to turn he belonged within the league. Nearest spending the rest of 2022 with the Eagles, Johnson sought after to be with a franchise that in fact performed to his strengths. 

“What Stout (Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland) was teaching me was the stuff I needed for my body type,” Johnson mentioned. “He teaches his blockers to hone in what you’ve been gifted. All of that was on display for him to see.”

Johnson wondered why the Eagles signed him pace they have been undefeated to start out the 12 months (Eagles have been 8-0 when Johnson was once introduced in), however noticed the possibility of the advance. The Eagles have been what Johnson had to salvage his occupation.

Now he’s the supplementary left take on along with his absolute best days forward of him. Johnson is a quantity more uncomplicated to identify in that people. 

“When I came in here, I seen the opportunity and I took it,” Johnson mentioned. “Just to feel wanted. Just to feel that this can be a place for me, it just motivated me that much more to go hard and try to make this a home.

“They noticed one thing they sought after to secure round.”