From Lane Johnson’s future to Bryce Huff’s contract, the Eagles have some long-term questions to answer

Because football is such a violent and physically demanding sport, an NFL season is short relative to other pro leagues. And because an NFL season is so short, every game is rife with moments and developments that have short- and long-term ramifications for every team. The Eagles had more than their share Sunday in their 15-12 victory over the Saints. Let’s grapple with a few.

Short-term ramifications: Fred Johnson stepped in for Lane Johnson at right tackle and played terrifically. Now he has to demonstrate that he can keep up that quality of play, or something close to it, until — and if — Lane Johnson is healthy enough to return. As for Smith, without him and A.J. Brown, the Eagles relied more on Dallas Goedert (finally) and Saquon Barkley. Expect more of that against the Buccaneers this Sunday and beyond, as long as the Eagles’ depth and talent at wide receiver remain so compromised.

Long-term ramifications: There’s no way to know yet how long Johnson or Smith will be out of the lineup, and with respect to Johnson, the question has to be asked: How many more head injuries can he suffer without at least contemplating retirement?

Officially, he has been diagnosed with at least three concussions during his career, and after this one, he was seen vomiting on the Eagles’ sideline — a sign that the trauma to his head was severe. The list of injuries and mental-health issues that he has withstood to continue playing is lengthy and well-documented, and he has always been clear-eyed about the damage the sport inflicts. “We know the risks when you play football,” he once said. “I ain’t got nothing to [complain] about.” But he’s 34 and in his 12th NFL season. How much more can he withstand?

Short-term ramifications: If Vic Fangio has determined that Huff is not an every-down player — and based on Huff’s performance so far, it’s difficult to draw any other conclusion — then someone else will have to play those snaps. Brandon Graham was on the field for 35 snaps Sunday, almost twice as many as Huff. That’s a lot to ask of Graham, who is 36. But until Fangio figures out some kind of contingency plan, he might not have another choice but to keep sending Graham out there to set the edge and rush the passer and hope Graham can hold up.

Long-term ramifications: Huff was supposed to provide the pressure and production that Haason Reddick did in 2022 and ’23. Yet through three games, he has one tackle and has yet to touch an opposing quarterback, and Fangio is already cutting his playing time.

It is looking more and more like Howie Roseman committed as much as $51 million over three years to a no-trick pony. Unless Huff somehow transforms into a player he has not yet been for the Eagles, they eventually will have to use resources they likely had allocated for other needs — draft picks, trade assets, salary-cap space — to make up for the mistake of signing him.

Short-term ramifications: Barkley was dynamic again, running for 147 yards, two touchdowns, and a two-point conversion. He leads the NFL in rushing yards (351) and is tied for the lead in rushing TDs (four). With the exception of that costly dropped pass against the Falcons, he has been as great as the Eagles could have hoped he would be when they signed him in March.

Long-term ramifications: Nick Sirianni and Kellen Moore still have to be mindful of just how much they are relying on Barkley. He’s averaging 24.3 touches, which puts him on a 17-game pace of 413. He never had more than 352 combined rushing attempts and receptions in any of his six seasons with the Giants, and he still missed parts of four of those seasons because of various injuries.

It will be challenging enough for Sirianni, Moore, and the coaching staff to game-plan around the absences of Brown and Smith. But if Barkley were to go down for any extended period of time, it would be just as crippling to the Eagles offense, if not more so. He is that gifted and that versatile, and remember: His backups are Kenneth Gainwell and rookie Will Shipley, neither of whom has shown that he gives the Eagles anything close to what Barkley gives them.