The Eagles’ decision to keep retired right tackle Lane Johnson on the 53-man roster for the rest of the season could create more than a little confusion. On Sunday morning, it already created some.
When the team posted its “full list” of inactive players for the Week 5 game against the Jaguars, Johnson’s name wasn’t mentioned. Which implied to the world that Johnson was officially active for the game, despite his announced retirement.
Per the Eagles, Johnson is one of inactive players. Per the league, Johnson was specifically listed as inactive for the game in the team’s communications with the league.
So why not put him on the list of inactive players?
It’s something to watch with each upcoming game. If the Eagles are going to keep Johnson on the roster despite his retirement, they probably shouldn’t treat him as retired but as a player who remains on the team in their public releases.