Lane Johnson Hints At Retirement: Where Do Eagles Go From Here?

The Philadelphia Eagles knew it was going to come at some point. Lane Johnson was eventually going to say goodbye to the NFL.

That time is coming.

Johnson returned to the Eagles this week after taking nearly a week off for personal reasons. He admitted after Saturday's practice his family life has been taking its toll on him -- and taking priority over football.

"As you get older, things change in your life," Johnson said. "Your children get older, your parents get older, it just puts things into perspective.

"It's looking like this is potentially going to be probably my last year just because I am getting to that point. Those priorities away from football are starting to merge. I love everything about this game and am preparing for it, but this is kind of where I'm at in my career."

With Johnson making aware his plans to ride into the sunset, what is the Eagles' plan going forward? This is where the development of a third-round draft pick this season is critical.

What can Eagles expect from Johnson in 2026?

Johnson is still going to play at a high level, whether this will be his final season or not. He already likes the offense and believes it will favor him to have extra help on the offensive line. The best may be yet to come in that regard.

Even if Johnson has a good year, he left his future open ended. He just wanted to make sure the Eagles -- and everyone else -- knew what he was thinking of doing.

This can all change of course. Johnson carries a cap hit of $20.1 million in 2027, which is the final season of his contract. There's still the option to keep going if Johnson wishes to continue playing.

Johnson can always change his mind.

“I think just being honest and transparent about it,” Johnson said. “This allows me to, I don't know, kind of be at ease so to speak and tell you where my head is at and what I'm looking forward to and what I'm trying to soak in as this year winds down.”

Markel Bell is getting reps at RT for a reason

In Johnson's absence, the Eagles had Fred Johnson getting the first crack at right tackle with the first team offense. While Johnson didn't perform well in the first practice at RT, the Eagles quickly turned to Bell.

Perhaps this move was more than Bell getting a shot because of Johnson's performance. The Eagles giving Bell those first team snaps at right tackle next to Tyler Steen makes more sense when Lane Johnson was absent.

Bell is the future at right tackle, which is why he was drafted in the first place. The Eagles had to prepare for a contingency plan at right tackle in case Johnson did decide to walk away from football after the 2026 or 2027 season, which is where the development of Bell came in.

Bell has been getting right tackle work from the day he was drafted by the Eagles, even if he was learning an entirely new position. The challenges were inevitable, but Bell has embraced them.

The more reps Bell gets at right tackle, especially with the first team, the more prepared he'll be when he does take Johnson's place at right tackle.

What does this mean for Fred Johnson?

Nothing. Johnson is battling for a spot on the roster at tackle, but his role on the team appears to be set with the Eagles having Bell at right tackle.

Johnson being the swing tackle seems like an afterthought now. With Lane Johnson putting in the groundwork this could be his last year, this accelerates the Eagles getting Bell as many reps at right tackle as possible.

Not only do the Eagles need to put Bell in position to be on the field, but bell will be the tackle called upon if there is an injury to Jordan Mailata or Lane Johnson. Bell would get that opportunity over Fred Johnson, as he's the future at tackle.

Johnson is only under contract for one season, and is still battling for his place on the roster. Due to the lack of depth behind him, Johnson should settle in as the No. 4 tackle. He'll line up on the left side as Mailata's backup and much needed veteran depth on at the position.

There's still a role for Johnson on this team. That role just isn't the same as it was when camp began.

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