The veteran right tackle stepped away from football Tuesday to focus on his mental health.
Philadelphia Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday, Oct. 6, ending a 14-season career to focus on his mental health.
Johnson, 36, shared the decision on X two days after missing Philadelphia’s 24-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 4. He was ruled out just hours before kickoff for undisclosed personal reasons. Following the game, head coach Nick Sirianni didn’t offer a timeline for Johnson’s status ahead of the team’s Week 5 trip to London.
“I have given it my all for 14 years,” Johnson said Tuesday in a statement, “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.”
The East Texas native played his entire professional career in Philadelphia, making 171 starts. Over those 14 seasons, Johnson earned six Pro Bowl selections, five AP All-Pro honors, and won two Super Bowls, titles in Super Bowl LII and Super Bowl LIX.
Following his announcement, Eagles chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie called Johnson an all-time franchise great and a future Pro Football Hall of Famer.
Johnson has spoken publicly about his struggles with severe anxiety and depression. “Right now, it is critical that I focus on my mental health,” he said Tuesday evening. He leaves with Philadelphia at 2-2, after two wins to open the season were followed by two straight losses.
Eagles trade Cam Jurgens a day later
On Wednesday, a day after Johnson’s announcement, the Eagles traded starting center Cam Jurgens, a two-time Pro Bowler, and a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Baltimore Ravens for a 2027 fifth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick. General manager Howie Roseman rejected suggestions of a rebuild, saying the club is still “trying to win this year.”
Johnson’s decision also prompted debate on ESPN’s “First Take,” where Stephen A. Smith questioned the timing of the announcement. Co-host Kimberley A. Martin challenged him on air, and Smith later posted an apology video on X, saying people had “misconstrued me minimizing mental health.”
