Lane Johnson officially announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday afternoon. Johnson, 36, was unable to play in Week 4 for what the team called personal reasons and officially announced his retirement a couple of days later, saying it is critical for him to focus on his mental health: P hiladelphia, you truly are the City of Brotherly Love. The best fans and the most prideful city in the entire world. I have given it my all for 14 years, season after season, pushing my body to the max and tirelessly working my craft to not only live up to the legacy of the guys that came before me, but to set a new standard of success for the best franchise in all of sports. I deeply wanted to gut it out for one more year; to take the field with my brothers for one last season. But after a lot of reflection, I’ve realized that my personal and family priorities in my life have changed. Right now, it is critical that I focus on my mental health. I owe it to my teammates, coaches, the organization and the fans to have my head and heart 100 percent in the game. And right now my heart is telling me that it’s time to say goodbye to football. At this time, I have made the incredibly difficult decision to retire from the National Football League. Riding up Broad Street as a World Champion, not once, but twice, and seeing the city in all its glory was the ultimate privilege; I’ll never forget it. Thank you to Jeffrey Lurie and the entire Eagles organization for taking a chance on a kid from small-town East Texas, and changing my life forever. And thank you to the many coaches and teammates I’ve had the honor of working with and playing alongside for the past 14 years; ya’ll have become lifelong friends and the brothers that I never had. Right now, what’s most important to me is continuing to focus on my mental health and spending more time with my kids and family. But Philadelphia will always be home, and I will forever be an Eagle. Thank you for the love and the enduring support. FlyEaglesFly @PaveTheLane Johnson played 14 incredible seasons, won two Super Bowls and was dominant for most of his Hall of Fame career. He’s calling it a career in the middle of the 2026 season. After Johnson made the announcement on Tuesday afternoon, the Eagles wished him well. Third-round pick Markel Bell will likely take over for the rest of the season at right tackle. He got the start against the Rams on Sunday. This summer, Johnson elected to return for what he expected to be his final NFL season after spending some time away from the team during training camp. Johnson played the first three games of this season. Johnson was playing at an extremely high level in 2025 before suffering a Lisfranc sprain in November. His initial plan was to return for the playoffs, but he was unable to get back on the field. Johnson explained he didn’t want to go out like that. “Lane Johnson is an all-time Eagle and one of the best players ever to play his position in NFL history. Lane was a major contributor to our team success for 14 seasons, helping to bring two Super Bowl Championships and many other memorable moments to the organization and the City of Philadelphia,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement. “Lane excelled under multiple coaching staffs, maintaining an elite level of play throughout his entire career. His combination of talent, strength, athleticism, and intelligence made him a truly unique player in this league, and there is no doubt in my mind that one day he will be named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “Beyond his on-field accomplishments Lane has done a tremendous amount to give back to the community through his numerous charitable endeavors. The courage he has shown using his own personal experiences to advocate for mental health awareness has undoubtedly saved lives. “We appreciate everything Lane has contributed to our organization, and we wish him and his family nothing but the best.” The Eagles’ record with and without Johnson has been noted often in recent seasons. Since 2016, there’s no player who has been more responsible for the Eagles’ success. Here’s a look at those records, including the playoffs:  With Johnson: 98-42-1 Without Johnson: 15-29 The Eagles will miss Johnson, who leaves behind an incredible legacy. Johnson was the No. 4 overall pick out of Oklahoma in the 2013 draft. In a historically weak NFL draft, the Eagles landed the best tackle and the best player. Johnson was the first draft pick of the Chip Kelly Era, but the pick was made by general manager Howie Roseman. Until this season, Johnson spent his entire career under legendary OL coach Jeff Stoutland. “Lane Johnson is, in my opinion, no question about it in my mind that he’s the best player I’ve ever been around,” head coach Nick Sirianni said last September. “He is one of the best players in the NFL and sometimes it’s hard to see that as an offensive lineman. It doesn’t show itself, but Lane gives us so much ability to do different things because of who he is as a football player. Like I said, he’s one of the best players I’ve ever seen. Obviously, we have a lot of great players on this team and they’re all up there, but Lane is special.” In Johnson’s 13+-year career, he played and started 171 games in the regular season and 15 in the postseason. He is one of just four players to win two Super Bowl rings with the Eagles, along with Brandon Graham, Jake Elliott and Rick Lovato. Johnson was a two-time first-team All-Pro in 2017 and 2022 (three-time second-team All-Pro) and was a six-time Pro Bowler (2017-19, 2022-24). He’s one of just three Eagles OTs to earn three consecutive Pro Bowl nods, along with Jason Peters (2013-16) and Bucko Kilroy (1953-55) and Johnson did it twice. Johnson will become eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2032 and he has a legitimate shot. “I think he’s been such a great player for longer than he’s been given the national credit for it,” his teammate Jason Kelce said in 2024. “Really, his whole career he’s been, if not the best, one of the best tackles every year, especially this past year, on the right side. So I think for him to get another one toward the end of his career can go a long way for what I think is hopefully a very legitimate case for him getting in there.” During his career, Johnson had his fair share of obstacles to overcome. He was suspended twice for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. He missed four games in 2014 and 10 games in 2016. Johnson also dealt with some significant injuries, too. He had a lingering ankle injury that required tightrope surgery and almost derailed his career around 2018-2020. But Johnson emerged from that and made three consecutive Pro Bowls from 2022-24. He also played through a torn abdomen in the playoffs in 2022, but still played at a high level throughout that Super Bowl run. Later in his career, Johnson became an advocate for mental health after dealing publicly with anxiety during the 2021 season and briefly leaving the team. Johnson was the Eagles’ Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee in 2023. That will remain a part of his legacy too. “I would like to thank everyone for their understanding and support over the last two weeks,” Johnson wrote in a social media post on Oct. 18, 2021. “I appreciate the positive notes and messages as I’ve worked hard to restore my personal life. Depression and anxiety are things I’ve dealt with for a long time and have kept hidden from my friends and family. If you’re reading this and struggling, please know that you are not alone.” This story originally appeared on NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. ...read more read less