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If one thought that things would get boring in the offseason, it seems that they might be wrong as things aren’t panning out that way. In the latest episode of the New Heights podcast, Jason and Travis Kelce brought forward never-before-heard stories from Jordan Mailata. In particular, he was asked about what his first impressions were of a certain teammate from Philly.
And his response was unexpected. On the gridiron, Lane Johnson is an intimidating figure, protecting his QB. But apparently, once off the gridiron, a whole different side of him comes to the fore.
What did Jordan Mailata think of Johnson when they first met?
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Jason Kelce brought up the O-lineman, Lane Johnson. Jordan’s first encounter with the titan was in the locker room. And he left quite an impression on him. “I thought he was the funniest motherf**ker in the world,” Jordan said. He confessed that though he had heard of him, but he didn’t know what to expect. And what he saw was totally unexpected.
Both teammates are coming off a disappointing season. They were off to a great 10-1 start, and then things started going down south. Mailata and Johnson had both come out blaming their franchise for not taking concrete steps to make their 2023 season a success.
Mailata, in an earlier interview, had delved into the troubles that sometimes brew within a team’s locker room. Reflecting on the cacophony of “outside noise” and its intrusion into the locker room, Mailata shared, “As a professional athlete, you got to remember the outside noises. You can’t let that affect you as a person and you as a teammate. We tried very hard to keep that focus about us and the mission that we were on. It got lost in the gravy somewhere along the way.”
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Feb 9, 2023; Phoenix, Ariz., U.S.; Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata answers a question during media availability at Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass. Mandatory Credit: Michael Chow-Arizona Republic
That was one thing that could have resulted in the Eagles’ poor performance in the second half of the season. “I think we had a couple moments during the year where we kind of let out outside noises come into the locker room and try and tear us apart.” Then we got back on track, a lot of things going on during the year so it was a bit tough.”
Lane Johnson had also minced no words in his reflection of their journey. “It’s embarrassing when you start 10-1 and lose six of seven,” he lamented. “We had six weeks to tell you how we were going to fix it, we didn’t do s**t. It’s the first time I’ve ever been in this kind of position. I never wanna be in this position again.”
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With almost a week into the offseason, the Eagles should reflect on their shortcomings in the past season and try to make amends.