One of the best offensive tackles in recent NFL history is likely to hang up his spikes after the 2026 season. Philadelphia Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson told reporters Saturday that the upcoming season will likely be his last in the NFL. Johnson missed a few practices in recent days for personal reasons and told reporters that he feels the pull of off-field responsibilities. Johnson also said he felt it was important to go public with his retirement plan, "to put [his] mind at ease," per the Philadelphia Inquirer.
"Looking like this is probably, potentially going to be, probably my last year, just because I had gotten to that point of those priorities away from football are starting to merge," Johnson said, according to The Athletic. "Not that I don't enjoy (it) — I love everything about this game and preparing for it — but that's where I'm at in my career. Looking forward to this year, playing the best I can, stay healthy, and that's about it."
Johnson is a 13-year veteran who has made six Pro Bowls, two All-Pro First Teams and three All-Pro Second Teams. He's also a two-time Super Bowl champion, having won with the Eagles in both 2017 and 2024.
He's still widely considered one of the small handful of best offensive linemen in the NFL, even at age 36. He checked in ninth in the recent CBS Sports poll, which ranked the top 10 players at every position, and he ranked even higher (third) in ESPN's annual poll of league executives and coaches.
His impact on Philadelphia's offense is dramatic, as the Eagles have experienced a huge drop-off in efficiency with Johnson off the field both in recent seasons and throughout his decorated career. The Eagles have averaged 0.04 EPA per play with Johnson on the field since 2013, and -0.05 EPA per play with him on the sidelines, according to TruMedia. That's equivalent to the difference between the third-best offense in the NFL during that time and the 27th-best.
YearJohnson ONJohnson OFFDifferential20130.08--0.0820140.000.000.002015-0.04---0.0420160.06-0.080.1420170.06-0.090.1520180.020.010.0120190.03-0.010.042020-0.11-0.10-0.0120210.060.030.0320220.10-0.120.2220230.06-0.050.1120240.100.000.1020250.05-0.040.09All0.04-0.050.09Given his resume, Johnson is a potential future Hall-of-Famer. Our Bryan DeArdo recently named him the most likely Eagle to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, for example. If Johnson can put together one last season at an extremely high level, as we should expect given his recent track record, it would only improve his chances.
The Eagles, meanwhile, were seemingly prepared for this to be Johnson's last NFL season, having drafted a potential successor in the third round in former Miami Hurricanes tackle Markel Bell. The monster-sized Bell (6-foot-9, 345 pounds) would give Philadelphia one of the largest tackle duos in the NFL, though he obviously will have big shoes to fill in the event that Johnson decides to step away after the 2026 campaign.
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