Lane Johnson announces immediate retirement

The Eagles, of course, have a lengthy checkered history whenever Johnson is sidelined. 6-foot-9 rookie Markel Bell will take Johnson’s place vs. a Rams team that will be missing Aaron Donald in addition to an IRed Myles Garrett.

Johnson missing Week 4 would be a truly calamitous outcome for Philly. They are already without DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert, both of whom were ruled out on Saturday. Losing their starting right tackle would be another blow the struggling offense didn’t need. Rookie Markel Bell will be the next man up if Johnson is ruled out.

Johnson was back at practice after being excused earlier in the week as he handled some personal business. Entering his 14th season in the NFL, Johnson told reporters this will probably be his final season. He cited his family as the primary motivation for potentially hanging up his cleats for the last time after this season. Johnson appeared in only 10 games last year, but was named either a first-team or second-team All-Pro in the four seasons prior to 2025.

Johnson is returning for a 14th NFL season after struggling with a lingering foot issue in 2025, one that cost him seven regular season games. Philadelphia’s offense — especially their run game — fell apart with Johnson sidelined. The Eagles finished the season 13th in EPA per rush after leading the NFL in that metric in 2024. PFF graded the Eagles offensive line as last year’s 12th best run blocking unit. Berman said Johnson has always wanted to play in the kind of Shanahan-style offense new OC Sean Mannion has brought with him to Philly this season. If the grizzled veteran can stay healthy, look for the Eagles rushing attack to rebound in a big way in 2026.

Johnson told The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane the news on Thursday morning. The potential Hall of Famer missed the second half of the 2025 season with a Lisfranc injury, though it shouldn’t affect him for the upcoming season. The 2026 season will mark his first without offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, who stepped down from the role at the end of the year. With Philly’s 2025 season going down as a bit of a dud, 2026 might be a one last ride situation for the veteran tackle. The hope is that a change at offensive coordinator revives the team’s explosive plays on the ground and through the air.

Dickerson is just 27, but struggled through a challenging season in 2025 with two missed games while struggling through several games with ankle and quad injuries. He didn’t look right from the jump. Lane Johnson is another retirement possibility for the Eagles, and The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane believes Johnson isn’t sure his body will hold up and he’s “not sure if he’s coming back or not.” The Eagles are set up for plenty of turnover on the offensive side of the ball this offseason and likely will need to target picks on the offensive line even if Dickerson and Johnson return.

The Eagles have been optimistic that Johnson would return from the foot issue next week for over a month. It seems like the injury isn’t progressing as Johnson or the team had anticipated. Fred Johnson will remain in the starting lineup in place of Lane.

The veteran got in three limited sessions in his return from a midseason Lisfranc injury. We’d be surprised if he didn’t at least give it a go despite the questionable status. It would have been good to have seen a full practice at any time this week.

Johnson could be seen hopping on one foot during a ladder drill at today’s practice. We take this as a good sign for his availability this week, but nothing is certain. Johnson has rigorously rehabbed after suffering a Lisfranc injury in Week 11 against the Lions. Hopefully, he is good to go for his team’s game against the 49ers.

Johnson sustained a Lisfranc fracture in mid-November but could suit up for Wild Card Weekend, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane. “Johnson has made progress in his recovery, but still has to test his right foot before the team makes a decision on his availability for Sunday’s wild card game vs. the 49ers,” McLane said. The team’s offense fell apart with Johnson sidelined as they finished the season 3-4. The Eagles are now 18-28 in games Johnson hasn’t played during his 13-year NFL career. His presence would go a long way in helping the Philly offense find its footing in the postseason. He was officially limited on Wednesday.