Dave Spadaro on the Eagles website
Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson will not take part in next weekend's Pro Bowl, the team disclosed on Thursday, as he is being treated for melanoma skin cancer in his spine. Johnson complained of back pain during the playoffs and was unable to coach from his normal sideline position, and on Monday, after extensive testing, he was informed that he has a bone tumor in his lower back.
"The original site was a skin cancer in 2001," head athletic Rick Burkholder told reporters. "Who knows where it tracked to from there, but his symptoms came from the spine. Now there are some other areas in his body (that have cancer), but I'm not going to get into where else some other stuff is. They will all be treated together. The main deal is his back right now. He's got a bone tumor down in his low back and that's what we have to attack right now."
Scary stuff for one of the great defensive coordinators in the game. Jim Johnson has been in Philadelphia a long time and has always been a fan favorite. We all wish him the best of luck!