PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson, a six-time Pro Bowl selection during his 14-year NFL career, abruptly announced his retirement on Tuesday.
Johnson, 36, who has spent his entire career with the Eagles and has won a pair of Super Bowl championships, said he needed to focus on his mental health.
“I deeply wanted to gut it out for one more year; to take the field with my brothers for one last season,” Johnson wrote in a social media post. “But after a lot of reflection, I’ve realized that my personal and family priorities have changed. Right now it is critical that I focus on my mental health.
“I owe it to my teammates, coaches, the organization and the fans to have my head and heart 100% in the game. And right now my heart is telling me that it’s time to say goodbye to football.”
Johnson was a surprise inactive player for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams, ESPN reported. The Eagles did not know that Johnson was going to sit out until hours before kickoff.
Rookie third-round pick Markel Bell started in Johnson’s place for the Eagles (2-2), according to USA Today.
Johnson missed four practices during training camp for personal reasons, ESPN reported. When he returned in August, he told reporters that the 2026 season would likely be his last in the NFL.
Both of his parents were dealing with health issues and he added that his oldest child is 13 and “it’s hard to get time back, especially those years I feel like are very pivotal.”
“As you get older, things change in your life, priorities. Your children get older, your parents get older, it just puts things into perspective,” Johnson said in August, according to ESPN. “It’s looking like this is potentially going to be probably my last year just because I am getting to that point. Those priorities away from football are starting to merge.
“I love everything about this game and am preparing for it, but this is kind of where I’m at in my career.”
Johnson was the Eagles’ first-round pick (and fourth overall) out of the University of Oklahoma in the 2013 NFL draft. In addition to his Pro Bowl selections, Johnson was a first-team All-Pro two times and a second-team selection three times.
“Lane excelled under multiple coaching staffs, maintaining an elite level of play throughout his entire career. His combination of talent, strength, athleticism, and intelligence made him a truly unique player in this league, and there is no doubt in my mind that one day he will be named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement.
© 2026 Cox Media Group
