After more than a decade of protecting quarterbacks, winning Super Bowls and establishing himself as one of the NFL’s premier offensive tackles, Lane Johnson is beginning to look beyond football.
The Philadelphia Eagles veteran said Saturday that the 2026 season will "probably" be his last, with his family and the time he has missed with them increasingly weighing on his decision.
“Man, looking like this is potentially, probably going to be my last year,” Johnson said after practice. “Just because I am getting to that point of those priorities away from football are starting to merge. Not that I don’t enjoy it. I love everything about this game and preparing for it, but it’s kind of where I am at in my career.”
Johnson, 36, has spent 13 seasons in Philadelphia, earning six Pro Bowl selections and helping the Eagles win two Super Bowls. But with his oldest child set to turn 13 in a few days, Johnson said the realization that time with his family cannot be recovered has become increasingly difficult to ignore.
“I thought about it last year, really. Lots of conversations with my family, my kids ... it’s hard to get time back,” Johnson explained.
He said he still feels capable of playing at an elite level and wants to make the most of what he expects to be his final season.
“I still feel I can be a premier tackle in this league,” he said. “My movement, everything, feels good. I just need to stay healthy and keep stacking days.
“You can’t play forever. Not everybody can do what LeBron James is doing. I am 36 ... I plan on having a really good last year.”
Johnson returned to training camp Friday after missing four practices because of what he described as personal matters involving his mother’s health.
The Eagles reworked Johnson’s contract before the 2025 season, adding $8 million over two seasons and another $30 million in guarantees while extending the deal through the 2027 campaign. Johnson said Saturday he had considered retiring instead of signing the extension.
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