The Philadelphia Eagles took a shocking hit on Tuesday when 5-time NFL All-Pro and 2-time Super Bowl champion right offensive tackle Lane Johnson announced his retirement just 4 games into his 14th NFL season.
Johnson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma, played his entire career with the Eagles and broke the news on his official X account.
Johnson famously started his college football career as a quarterback before becoming a tight end, then a defensive end, then finally settling at offensive tackle.
“I have given it my all for 14 years; season after season pushing my body to the max and tirelessly working my craft to not only live up to the legacy of the guys that came before me, but to set a new standard of success for the best franchise in all of sports,” Johnson wrote. “I deeply wanted to gut it out for one more year; to take the field with my brothers for one last season. But after a lot of reflection, I’ve realized that my personal and family priorities in my life 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 percent in the game. And right now my heart is telling that it’s time to say goodbye to football. At this time, I have made the incredibly difficult decision to retire from the National Football League.”
Johnson was a gameday scratch for “personal reasons” just hours before the Eagles lost to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, dropping to 2-2.
In 2012 at OU, in his lone season at left offensive tackle, he was named All-Big 12 and All-American.
2X Super Bowl Champion 6X Pro Bowler 5X All-Pro
Lane Johnson Battled Injuries in 2025
Johnson had previously contemplated retirement after an injury-riddled 2025 season that saw him miss the last 7 games of the regular season and lose to the San Francisco 49ers in a playoff game after suffering a Lisfranc injury to his foot.
The NFL world reacted with shock and surprise to Johnson’s retirement, despite rumblings in the days leading up to the announcement that he was considering stepping away from the game.
Johnson is widely considered one of the best offensive tackles in NFL history and banked an incredible $186.4 million in career earnings through 2026.
Lane Johnson Praised for Openness in Retirement
Johnson earned praise for being so open about his mental health struggles — something he’d cited in the past as well.
“Lane Johnson had contemplated retiring at the start of training camp when he took a brief sabbatical,” The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane wrote on his official X account on Tuesday. “He was convinced to return and was able to get some of his concerns — about his aging parents, this likely being his last season — off his chest at his first news conference. Four games into his 14th season, he has decided to retire from football. Johnson will go down as an Eagles great, having won two Super Bowls. He will likely one day be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”
“Lane Johnson is simply one of the greatest to ever do it,” NFL on Prime’s James Palmer wrote on his official X account. “I, for one, commend Lane Johnson for the honesty, transparency, strength, and courage he’s shown throughout his battles with mental health. Here’s to hoping that focus on his mental health helps him get to where he needs to be.”
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie also issued a statement praising Johnson.
“Lane Johnson is an all-time Eagle and one of the best players ever to play his position in NFL history,” Lurie wrote. “We appreciate everything Lane has contributed to our organization, and we wish him and his family nothing but the best.”
OU Legend & Eagles Star Retires From NFL After 14 Seasons