Johnson plays like he knows he’s the best, leaving no detail untouched. He is thorough in his preparation and his performance.
“I’m definitely a lot bigger and stronger than what I was during the Super Bowl year,” Johnson said. “Whatever I’ve lost in speed, I’ve made up for in power as I’ve gotten older. I feel much better than I did last year.
“Right now, I feel fast. I’m around 330, I feel good and just trying to keep that rolling. Early in my career, I played around 315, 320, and now I guess it’s easier to keep on weight when you get older as long as it’s not slowing me down too much. I feel good, I feel ready.”
Johnson is part of an offensive line that has long been the foundation of the team’s offensive success – third in yards per game, fourth in points after the 26-17 win over Dallas to improve to 6-0 entering the bye. He credits some of the success he has had to the men who have worked next to him – Todd Herremans (2013-14), Brandon Brooks (2016-21), and Isaac Seumalo now. They are the ones who must coordinate their timing and sync their minds in terms of recognizing what they are seeing from the defense and what they are hearing from the quarterback and center Jason Kelce as line calls and adjustments are made.
The mental part is something Johnson has long worked at mastering, and he is all the way there. A virtuoso at right tackle.
“It isn’t all muscle or just being bigger than the other guy,” Johnson said. “There is a lot more that goes into it and I enjoy that aspect of it, where I’m using leverage or my blocking angle to win that play. That’s the thing: It’s a play-to-play deal here. We don’t have much time to celebrate because there is always going to be a new guy waiting to knock you off. I know they’re coming after me. I love that challenge. I love that part of it.”
Three times Johnson has been voted into the Pro Bowl. Twice he has been named an All-Pro player and once, of course, he has won a Super Bowl. There are more accolades and much more recognition ahead for Johnson, who is peaking at a time when most players are winding it all down.
Johnson is just now ramping up.
“Keeping your body right is the hardest thing at this level because you’re always going to be stressed physically,” he said. “I eat right, I recover and take it seriously, and I study until I can’t look at the screen anymore. That’s how serious I am. I don’t want anybody getting a jump on me. It’s a constant challenge to me.”
And it’s far from over. In Johnson’s mind, life…
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