The Philadelphia Eagles received shocking news on Tuesday, as the veteran right tackle Lane Johnson called it a career.
Ahead of the team’s Week 4 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, the Eagles found out that Johnson wouldn’t play. He was ruled out suddenly due to personal reasons.
On Tuesday, the Eagles announced that Johnson was calling it a career, and the star tackle wrote a long statement, confirming his decision on social media.
Now, the Eagles’ offensive line situation gets trickier, as they now know they will not have Johnson for the remainder of the year.
Who Are The Lane Johnson Replacement Options?
Fred Johnson
The Eagles’ official depth chart lists Fred Johnson as Lane Johnson’s primary backup.
The 29-year-old veteran has been in the NFL since 2019. He attended the University of Florida and went undrafted the year he came out.
Johnson started his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but it didn’t last beyond October of his rookie season. After getting waived, Johnson ended up with the Cincinnati Bengals.
In 2022, Johnson signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, lasting roughly two months with the team after the start of the season. The Eagles added Johnson to their practice squad in 2023. He stuck with the Eagles throughout the 2024 season before joining the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2025.
Once again, Johnson ended up on the Eagles after the Jags traded him to Philadelphia. The Eagles kept Johnson on board with a one-year contract back in March.
Currently, Johnson is dealing with a knee injury, which has had him out for the past two weeks. He is the replacement option with the most experience, but he didn’t receive a ton of positive reviews throughout training camp over the summer.
Markel Bell
The 22-year-old Markel Bell is a fresh face for the Eagles and the NFL in general. Coming out of the University of Miami, Bell was selected in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Throughout training camp, Bell was far more impressive, based on reports coming out of the Eagles’ training facility. In addition to having an impressive summer, Bell also started in Johnson’s place on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.
That’s where it gets tricky. Eagles On SI noted that Bell’s start “didn’t go well,” while grading the entire offensive line as a failure for the day.
NBC Sports Philadelphia gave him a little more credit, stating he wasn’t “very high” on the Eagles’ list of concerns for the game, but had some “really good moments in the run game.” Bleeding Green Nation considered him a winner from the matchup based on what he showed.
The early reviews are just about what you would expect from a third-round rookie making his first start. He had highs and lows, but showed promise.
It’s unclear who the Eagles will roll with when Johnson gets healthy, but they now know that Lane Johnson won’t be walking back through the doors.