Lance Johnson fought through injuries to play in the Philadelphia Eagles' three playoff games, including the Super Bowl. The offensive lineman suffered a torn adductor injury late in the regular season but held off on undergoing surgery to participate in the Eagles' playoff run.
Johnson was in pain throughout the run, which included an NFC Championship Game win over the San Francisco 49ers. However, the two-time All-Pro wasn't the only one fighting through an injury. Both of the 49ers' quarterbacks suffered injuries in the game. First, Brock Purdy left after tearing the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow. Then, he was forced to return to the field after his backup, Josh Johnson, suffered a concussion.
Purdy couldn't throw the football, though, creating a frustrating situation for the Niners and their watching fanbase.
With the 49ers forced to abandon their passing game, the Eagles cruised to a 31-7 win. Most believe the matchup would have been much more competitive if San Francisco had a healthy quarterback.
"I ain't going to keep going on about what could've happened and what would've happened, but yeah, it would've definitely been a different outcome," 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel recently said. "... We lost because we played with 10 people."
Johnson agrees.
"Obviously, players get motivated from that, but from what he said, it's not too far off," Johnson told Rich Eisen this week. "I do think, obviously, if the quarterback doesn't go down, it is a different game. I feel like they obviously weren't able to utilize the team that they were the majority of the second half. And so, yeah, I believe it would have been a lot more competitive game."
Purdy underwent surgery on March 10, and the 49ers hope their second-year quarterback returns in time for Week 1 of the 2023 season.
Johnson added, "It was a major injury that he's still bouncing back from. ... No, it was a weird predicament to be in. I obviously know they were frustrated to have it go down to that."
On December 3, the 49ers and Eagles will face each other at Lincoln Financial Field in a rematch of that NFC Championship bout.