Speaking to reporters ahead of Saturday's practice, Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson announced that the 2026 season will likely be his final year in the NFL.
"Man, it's looking like this is potentially, probably my last year."
Johnson recently made his return to the team after missing four straight practices, dealing with a personal matter. Johnson said that as he is getting older, with his kids and parents aging, his priorities are changing.
A look back at Johnson's Hall of Fame résumé
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Johnson was selected by the Eagles fourth overall in the 2013 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma. Johnson started all 16 regular-season games his rookie season.
From 2014 to 2016, his reputation started to grow. Pro Football Reference (PFF) graded Johnson as a top 10 right tackle in the NFL, but off-field issues limited his availability, as he missed 14 games due to suspensions.
His Hall of Fame trajectory truly started in 2017. Johnson was named to his first Pro Bowl, an achievement he would get in all years going forward outside of 2022 and 2025, where he dealt with in-season injuries. He was also named First Team All-Pro for the first time, earning five more All-Pro selections since 2017.
With Johnson's retirement being on the horizon for the last couple of years, general manager Howie Roseman may have finally found his successor in Markel Bell this year.
Bell, drafted in the third round out of Miami, has had an impressive training camp, now the front-runner to be the Eagles swing tackle this year. Johnson had high praise for the rookie, who had taken his place with the first-team offense while he was away.
"He's one of the best rookies I've been around," Johnson said. "Yeah, man when I see a guy with that size and that ability and that wingspan and movement, you can have a lot of success in this business."
Roseman has had success replacing franchise legends with talented young players, Jalen Carter now wrecking shop in the interior in place of Fletcher Cox and Quinyon Mitchell taking the mantle of top cornerback from Darius Slay as recent examples.
Johnson has been one of the most important players of the Eagles' successful run over the past decade. His eventual departure will mark the end of an era, but if Bell's emergence continues, Philadelphia may already have the next chapter of its offensive line waiting in the wings.
