So this is cool. FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer shared an exchange from Philadelphia Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson before their Saturday night playoff game with the New York Giants, in which Johnson was preparing to play despite a painful abdominal injury.
The groin injury sidelined the four-time Pro Bowl lineman for his team’s game with the New Orleans Saints late in the regular season, so he reached out to one of his one of his most respected opponents for some words of wisdom.
It’s a similar injury to what seven-time Pro Bowl Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan dealt with during the final five games of the 2019 season, which required surgery in the spring. Johnson plans to go under the knife, too, but he hopes to help the Eagles win another Super Bowl first. But the advice Jordan gave him wasn’t what he wanted to hear.
Glazer reflected on his conversation with Johnson, in which he said Jordan told him, “It’s going to hurt every single play you’re out there,” to which Johnson exclaimed, “I was hoping (Jordan) would say anything but that!”
Hey, there’s not much to be done about a muscle tear like this. All of the dynamic stretching, heating pads, and painkillers in the world are only going to take some of the edge off. It goes to show what kind of competitors Jordan and Johnson both are that they’re able to gut out the pain and stay on the field when their team needs them most.