Eagles Right Tackle Lane Johnson Retires at 36 After 13-Plus Seasons in Philadelphia

Philadelphia Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson announced on October 6 that he is retiring, ending a 13-plus-season career as one of the NFL’s premier offensive linemen, the Delaware News Journal reported.

Johnson, 36, played the first three games this season before leaving the team for personal reasons hours before the Eagles’ October 4 game against the Los Angeles Rams, according to the report. In a social media post announcing his decision, he said his priorities had shifted toward family and mental health and that it was time to step away from football.

The move caps a career that began when Philadelphia selected Johnson fourth overall in 2013. He became an immediate starter at right tackle, earned six Pro Bowl selections and helped the Eagles reach three Super Bowls, winning two, the News Journal reported.

A career defined by durability and advocacy

Johnson started 171 regular-season games, eighth in franchise history and second among Eagles offensive linemen behind Jason Kelce, according to the report. Philadelphia went 112-58 in games Johnson played, compared with 18-28 without him. This season, Pro Football Focus credited him with allowing just two pressures in 181 passing snaps, the News Journal said.

Johnson stepped away from the team for three weeks in 2021 while dealing with depression and anxiety, and he missed time this summer as his parents’ health declined, according to the report. He returned to say this would be his final season and that he had considered retiring a year earlier after missing the final eight games with a foot injury.

Eagles chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie praised Johnson as an all-time franchise great and credited his openness about mental health, the News Journal reported. Rookie Markel Bell, a third-round pick from Miami who started against the Rams, is expected to take over at right tackle, according to the report.

Reporting based on coverage by the Delaware News Journal.