The Philadelphia Eagles are officially preparing for a game without Lane Johnson after his retirement announcement.
Johnson has played for the Eagles since the 2013 season, earning six Pro Bowl selections, five All-Pro selections, and two Super Bowl titles. He has dealt with personal matters off the field this year, missing four days of practice in August and the Eagles’ Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Replacing Johnson for at least the 2026 season will be rookie third-round pick Markel Bell. The rookie made his first career start against the Rams on Sunday and now holds the job. That adds more pressure on Bell, but a teammate gave him some good advice on how to handle it.
Philadelphia Eagles’ Markel Bell Gets Good Advice
Eagles starting left tackle Jordan Mailata appeared on SportsRadio 94 WIP, where he was asked about the Johnson situation. Mailata offered some sound advice to Bell on taking over for Johnson.
“My piece of advice was something I told myself when people expected me to fill the shoes of the great J.P., Jason Peters,” Mailata said via The Athletic’s Brooks Kubena. “I said I wasn’t here to fill his shoes. I’m here to make my own. This here is again another opportunity for me to remind Markel that I understand what you’re going through. The one thing that you can do now is create your own shoes. You’re not here to fill Lane Johnson’s shoes. you’re here to make your own. You’re here to create your own legacy and your own story, and that’s all we want. We just want you to focus on that. You don’t have to be Lane Johnson.”
Bell had a shaky first career start, allowing 4 pressures in the loss to the Rams. Still, he had some good moments, including a play where he got two pancakes to spark positive yards.
Eagles Begin Life Without Lane Johnson in Week 5
The Eagles knew this day would come, but it happened much faster than expected. Bell was just supposed to sit on the bench all season and learn from Johnson before he was originally supposed to retire at the end of the year.
Now Philly enters their Week 5 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars with potentially three new starters on the line from Week 1. Bell will play right tackle, Willie Lampkin left guard, and Drew Kendall center. Landon Dickerson is still on IR, and Cam Jurgens is in concussion protocol.
This is not how it was supposed to go for the Eagles, but they have to roll with the punches. Bell now takes over a spot that has been occupied for 14 years. He has a lot to live up to, with Johnson being a future Hall of Famer.
Jordan Mailata Gives Sound Advice to Eagles’ 6-Foot-9 Lane Johnson Successor