Lane Johnson Retires After 14 Seasons, Leaving Behind an All-Time Eagles Legacy
PHILADELPHIA — Lane Johnson entered the NFL as one of the most unusual offensive line prospects in recent memory. He leaves it as one of the greatest players ever to wear a Philadelphia Eagles uniform.
Johnson announced his retirement Tuesday, bringing an end to a 14-season NFL career spent entirely in Philadelphia. The 36-year-old right tackle steps away as a two-time Super Bowl champion, six-time Pro Bowler and five-time Associated Press All-Pro selection, closing the book on a career that could eventually carry him to Canton. (Philadelphia Eagles)
In his retirement announcement, Johnson explained that although he had wanted to finish out one more season, his priorities had changed. He said focusing on his mental health and spending more time with his family had become more important, adding that he did not want to continue playing without being completely committed to the game. (Reuters)
It is an abrupt ending to a career that was anything but ordinary.
From Small-Town Quarterback to Oklahoma
Long before Johnson became a 6-foot-6, 300-plus-pound NFL offensive tackle, he was playing quarterback at Groveton High School in Groveton, Texas.
Johnson grew up in the small East Texas community and was a multi-sport athlete, competing in football and track. His athleticism was obvious, but his future position was anything but settled. He wasn’t a highly recruited offensive tackle preparing for a straightforward path to the NFL.
In fact, he wasn’t an offensive lineman at all.
Johnson began his college career at Kilgore College, a junior college in East Texas, as a roughly 200-pound quarterback. His time there became an important part of his development, with Johnson later crediting the demanding environment at Kilgore for helping shape the mentality he carried throughout his career. (Inquirer.com)
He eventually transferred to Oklahoma, and that was where his football career began taking a remarkable turn.
Johnson arrived at Oklahoma as a quarterback before moving around the roster. He spent time at tight end and defensive end before eventually transitioning to the offensive line. What initially looked like a player searching for a position instead revealed just how unusual Johnson’s athletic profile really was.
He had the movement skills of a former quarterback in the body of an NFL tackle.
By the end of his Oklahoma career, Johnson had developed into one of the nation’s premier offensive line prospects. Philadelphia saw enough potential to make him the fourth overall selection in the 2013 NFL Draft. (Philadelphia Eagles)
The Eagles would spend the next 14 seasons finding out just how valuable that decision was.
Becoming a Cornerstone in Philadelphia
Johnson immediately stepped into Philadelphia’s starting lineup as a rookie and developed into a fixture at right tackle.
His combination of size, strength and exceptional movement ability made him different from many players at the position. Johnson could handle powerful edge rushers, but his athleticism also allowed Philadelphia to use him in space in ways most teams couldn’t with a 300-pound offensive lineman.
As the seasons passed, coaches changed, quarterbacks changed and much of the roster around him changed.
Johnson remained.
He ultimately started 171 regular-season games for Philadelphia and 186 games when the postseason is included. (Reuters)
His individual résumé grew alongside the team’s success.
Johnson earned six Pro Bowl selections, making the team in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024. He was also recognized by the Associated Press as an All-Pro five times, including two First-Team All-Pro selections. Only Hall of Fame tackle Bob Brown earned as many AP All-Pro honors while playing for Philadelphia. (Eagles Media)
But Johnson’s legacy in Philadelphia will be remembered for more than individual awards.
It will be remembered in February.
A Champion Twice Over
Johnson was one of the anchors of the offensive line that helped Philadelphia make its run to Super Bowl LII following the 2017 season.
The Eagles eventually defeated the New England Patriots 41-33, delivering Philadelphia its first Super Bowl championship. Johnson was at the center of an offensive line that helped power one of the most memorable postseason runs in franchise history.
Seven years later, he did it again.
Johnson helped anchor Philadelphia’s dominant offensive line during the 2024 season as Saquon Barkley rushed for 2,005 yards. Including the playoffs, Barkley finished with 2,504 rushing yards while Philadelphia accumulated an NFL-record 3,866 combined rushing yards between the regular season and postseason. The Eagles finished the run by defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. (Eagles Media)
Johnson retires as one of only three players in Eagles history to be part of multiple Super Bowl-winning teams — and the only offensive lineman in franchise history to accomplish it. He was also part of three NFC championship teams during his career. (Eagles Media)
Those championships bookended one of the most successful stretches the Eagles have ever experienced.
Johnson was there for nearly all of it.
Excellence That Was Easy to Overlook
Offensive tackles rarely accumulate statistics that immediately explain their dominance.
Johnson’s consistency told the story in other ways.
At one point in his career, he went 1,405 consecutive pass-blocking snaps without allowing a sack and 961 consecutive snaps without allowing his quarterback to be knocked down. (People)
Even as he moved deeper into his 30s, Johnson continued performing among the NFL’s best tackles. Before stepping away this season, Philadelphia noted that Johnson ranked first among NFL offensive tackles in both pass-blocking grade and pass-block win rate through the opening three weeks. (Philadelphia Eagles)
There was little evidence that his ability had disappeared.
Instead, Johnson decided there were things beyond football that had become more important.
That part of his story matters, too.
Johnson has spoken openly over the years about his experiences with depression and anxiety, including taking time away from football during the 2021 season. His willingness to discuss those struggles publicly made him one of the NFL’s more prominent advocates for mental health awareness. Philadelphia later selected him as its nominee for the 2023 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. (Inquirer.com)
An Eagle From Beginning to End
There is something increasingly rare about Johnson’s career.
One team.
One city.
Fourteen seasons.
From the moment Philadelphia selected him fourth overall in 2013 until his final snap in 2026, Johnson never wore another NFL uniform.
He blocked for different quarterbacks, running backs and coaches. He played alongside fellow Eagles offensive line greats such as Jason Peters and Jason Kelce and later became the veteran leader younger Philadelphia linemen looked toward.
He helped block for two NFL rushing champions nearly a decade apart — LeSean McCoy in 2013 and Barkley in 2024. (Eagles Media)
More importantly, Johnson was part of the foundation that transformed Philadelphia from a franchise still searching for its first Super Bowl into a two-time champion.
Eagles Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie called Johnson an “all-time Eagle” following Tuesday’s announcement and said he believes Johnson will eventually be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. (Philadelphia Eagles)
That debate will come later.
For now, Philadelphia says goodbye to a player whose journey was improbable from the beginning.
Johnson went from playing quarterback in tiny Groveton, Texas, to junior college football at Kilgore, to changing positions repeatedly at Oklahoma, to becoming the fourth pick in the NFL Draft.
Then he spent the next 14 seasons making sure the Eagles never regretted it.
Two Super Bowl rings, six Pro Bowls, five All-Pro selections and nearly a decade and a half later, Lane Johnson walks away having accomplished something much larger than simply becoming a successful NFL offensive lineman.
He became one of the defining Eagles of his generation.
