PFT: Eagles Knew About Lane Johnson’s Planned Appearance in WWE WrestleMania 40 Match

Philadelphia Eagles tackle Lane Johnson and retired center Jason Kelce made surprise appearances at Night 1 of WrestleMania 40 on Saturday.

However, the Eagles organization wasn’t surprised, as the team said Sunday that it was aware of Johnson’s planned participation, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.

With WrestleMania 40 taking place at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, fans were excited to see the pair of longtime Eagles offensive linemen.

Johnson is still under contract with the Eagles, which raised questions about his appearance on Saturday night. However, he didn’t do anything physical, unlike Kelce. The 36-year-old fully embraced his retirement by helping Rey Mysterio and Andrade defeat Dominick Mysterio and Santos Escobar.

Football players participating in professional wrestling is nothing new, but it’s not always something that teams are willing to allow. In 2007, cornerback Pacman Jones attempted to wrestle for TNA during his one-year suspension under the NFL’s personal conduct policy. However, the Tennessee Titans sued him to prevent him from participating and won the case.

“All NFL players have language in their contracts that prohibit them from engaging in activities ‘which may involve a significant risk of personal injury,'” Titans spokesman Robbie Bohren said at the time, via Florio. “We certainly believe wrestling to be hazardous, and it is obvious from the player’s conduct that he is ignoring this aspect of his agreements with the club.”

While it’s unlikely that Johnson will be in the ring again anytime soon, fans would certainly love to see another appearance from Kelce while he enjoys retirement.

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