The Eagles are bringing back edge rusher and special teams ace Patrick Johnson on a one-year deal, a league source confirmed to NBC Sports Philadelphia.
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini first reported the deal.
Johnson, 27, was an Eagles’ seventh-round draft pick out of Tulane in 2021 and played a ton for the Eagles on special teams during his first stint in Philly. But when the Eagles released him in September, he was claimed by the division-rival Giants.
After his release, Johnson played in 12 games for the Giants in 2024, totaling 46 defensive snaps and 263 special teams snaps.
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In September, the Eagles released Johnson to create a roster spot they used on backup center Nick Gates because they needed three practice squad players for their Week 2 game but had just two elevations. The Eagles were hoping to get Johnson to their practice squad but the Giants claimed him instead.
During his three full seasons with the Eagles, Johnson played more special teams snaps than anyone on the roster with 868. His contributions on defense were limited to just 362 snaps in three years and he played just 38 in 2023, but he was a core special teamer for Michael Clay’s unit.
In total, Johnson has played in 61 NFL games in his career with 2 starts — 49 of those games and both starts came as a member of the Eagles.
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While Johnson’s main role will continue to be special teams, he will compete as an edge rusher in camp at a position group that is a bit unsettled as we sit here in March.
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