In 2025, the Eagles managed just 1,908 rushing yards, a steep drop from their 3,048 rushing yards tally in 2024. This huge drop in their numbers explains why fixing the run game is Philly’s biggest priority this season, as their run game is no longer helping the offense. And, Eagles’ offensive tackle Lane Johnson just pointed to one major factor that derailed their rushing attack.

“I think when it goes down to it, if you look at it, loading the box up, there are miscommunication issues,” Lane Johnson said recently on Jon Gruden’s Barstool podcast. “Whether it’s old lineman, if it’s at running back, not hearing it, I feel like we had a lot of inefficient runs, and so people unaccounted for, which is unacceptable. It’s like coaches can coach all they want, but at a certain point, people know what football is.”

“And that’s something we’ve got to fix as a line,” Johnson added. “So, it was definitely frustrating going from what seemed like every play was a roller coaster to – it was gritty. Those yards came hard for shape.”

Running back Saquon Barkley led with 2,005 yards on the ground in 2024, and the Eagles boasted a dominant rushing attack. But in 2025, while the Eagles’ rushing game declined, it was not simply about former offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo calling fewer runs. 

The Eagles’ run game was far more varied in 2024 compared to last season, when they became increasingly zone-heavy. As per reports, the Eagles ran fewer inside zone and power plays than in 2024. For 2026, Philly clearly needs to get back to applying schemes that made their run game difficult to defend last year.

Injuries and changes along the offensive line disrupted the Eagles’ run game in 2025. Lane Johnson himself was sidelined for a long time last season due to an ankle injury. Add miscommunications on top of all that, and it presents a clearer picture.

So, even though Saquon Barkley averaged 4.1 yards per carry last season (a sharp decline from 4.91 in 2024) to anchor the Eagles’ run game, negative plays and stalled drives became far too common.

The Eagles’ total rushing attempts dropped from 621 to 459, and their explosive runs of 10-plus yards fell by over 30%. Eagles’ dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts’ reduced involvement on the ground also played a role in that dip.

Last season, Hurts recorded just 421 yards and 8 touchdowns on the ground, logging only 105 attempts, which was 45 fewer than in the 2024 season. While it could’ve been a strategic move to keep the QB healthy throughout the season, Hurts had suggested back in January that Kevin Patullo had other plans.

“The season has just gone the way it is,” Jalen Hurts said during a press conference on January 7. “The approach this year, and the way the games have been called with this coordinator, with coach KP, it’s just kind of gone that way. I’ve taken it in stride and giving my best with the position they’ve put me in.”

To be fair, the plan to shift away from the run game did bring some benefits to the Eagles’ players. Last season, Hurts recorded a career-high 25 passing TDs, and both DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown crossed the 1,000-yard passing mark. 

Without a consistent run threat last season, defenses didn’t have to guess, and that lack of balance showed on the stat sheet. The Eagles failed to score more than 20 points in 9 of their 17 regular-season games. Even in the NFC Wild Card round, they struggled to score, falling 23-19 to the San Francisco 49ers.

Still, the encouraging part is that the Eagles can kick-start their run game again with Hurts and Barkley staying with the team for the 2026 season. At the same time, the Eagles also hired Sean Mannion to replace Patullo for a change, and Lane Johnson looks excited to play under the new OC.

Lane Johnson confirms his return to Philly for his 14th season

Questions surrounded Lane Johnson’s future after a Lisfranc injury sidelined him for eight games late last season. While Johnson also turned 35, it was also expected that he could retire rather than play a 14th season in the NFL. But last month, Johnson confirmed his return through a social media post with a photo of himself running out of the tunnel in his Eagles uniform.

“🦅😤,” Johnson wrote in the caption of his IG post.

Since being drafted in 2013, Johnson has taken Philly to two Super Bowl title wins. Now, he returns to a team entering a new phase under OC Sean Mannion, who is expected to borrow elements from Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan’s schemes. 

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Mannion previously played quarterback for the Rams during Sean McVay’s first two seasons as head coach, and while he has never directly coached under Kyle Shanahan, he is still a part of that tree with Matt LaFluer.

He spent two seasons in Green Bay as the Offensive Assistant in 2024 and then as the Quarterbacks Coach in 2025 before making his way to Philly.

And Johnson looks excited to be a part of that shift.

“I’m excited about this new system,” Johnson said recently on the Fitz & Whit podcast. “I think it has some Shanahan implements in it. And I think it will be maybe easier on the edge for Jordan [Mailata] and I. So maybe not as much isolation.”

Johnson’s presence alone changes the dynamics of the Eagles’ offensive line, and the team’s 8-2 record with him last season compared to 3-5 without him only reinforces that. So, his return gives the Eagles’ offense some stability while they look to work on a new system under a new OC in 2026.