Eagles star Lane Johnson deserves the farewell tour he’s about to embark on

PHILADELPHIA — Lane Johnson announced to the world that 2026 is “probably” the final season of his storied career, and one of his closest confidants announced to the world a long-held belief within the locker room and team facility for the past decade.

“Best tackle in the NFL,” Dom DiSandro, security chief and senior adviser to the general manager, uttered while Johnson walked by, and that view is part of why Saturday was so significant and the next six months so meaningful.

The unscheduled announcement came after Johnson was excused for six days for a personal reason. It mattered that it came at all. He could have played out this season with the question lingering, as they did last year. The franchise knows how to throw a spring retirement ceremony; they’ve done it for franchise icons such as Jason Kelce (who watched from the back as Johnson spoke Saturday), Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox.

By declaring his plans on a sweltering August Saturday morning, however, Johnson allowed for the type of farewell tour he deserves.

“I think just being honest and transparent about it allows me to be at ease, so to speak, and tell you where my head’s at, what I’m looking forward to and what I’m trying to soak in as this year winds down,” Johnson said. “It’s refreshing. It’s honest — I’ve had these conversations with my teammates, with Dom, with these guys. It’s where I’m at at this point in my career.”

One can also respect the clarity required to reach this decision. Johnson, 36, adores playing offensive tackle, and he does it as well as anyone in the world. That can be an intoxicating life to live and sometimes an impossible life to leave. But he’s also a father to children on the other side of the country and a son to parents combating illness and old age. He’s vulnerable to the same complexities as the person drafting him or coaching him or writing about him or watching him: when to say when and realize that the happiness pendulum sometimes needs a push in the other direction.

“Family life is merging, and it feels like, ‘Are you running to something, or are you running away from something?’” Johnson said. “Being a father is really special to me. I had a really good time in the offseason. Parents work; it’s what they do. But putting stuff into perspective, collectively with my family, it’s looking (like it will be my last year).”

One reality Johnson realized in making this decision? “It’s hard to get time back,” he admitted.

Perhaps it was fitting that the announcement came on Hall of Fame weekend. That’s where Johnson’s career could finish. Every year up until this point has seemed to be a race to be recognized as one of the game’s elite.

Johnson switched positions in college, from a juco quarterback to a tight end to a defensive end and eventually an offensive tackle. He was a late bloomer who required a strong Senior Bowl in 2013 to solidify himself as a first-round pick and a record-setting combine to ascend on draft charts.

“I’m going to rip this f—ing combine to such a level that these motherf—ers have never seen anything like it,” Johnson told his agent on the eve of his workout. “And when it’s all said and done, I’m gonna go top five.”

Even when he went No. 4 to the Eagles, he was the third offensive tackle drafted. Jeff Stoutland, the only offensive line coach in Johnson’s NFL career before this season, told the draft room in 2013 that Johnson “is going to be so much better than the other two tackles” in two to three years, per owner Jeffrey Lurie’s retelling of the story.

He was a Day 1 starter for the Eagles, although two suspensions for performance-enhancing drugs early in his career (a four-game suspension in 2014 and a 10-game suspension in 2016) clouded his reputation. Johnson solidified his standing as an elite tackle in 2017 on the way to the Super Bowl, although he remembered opposing defensive linemen calling him “’roid-head” and noted a stigma he needed to fight.

Johnson also fought an antiquated view that right tackles were inferior to left tackles. He had been drafted as the team’s eventual left tackle, but Jason Peters played longer than expected, and Johnson became comfortable on the right side. GM Howie Roseman said in a 2023 interview that Johnson “changed the game” because he altered the perception of a position.

The right side versus the left side was part of why Johnson sometimes felt disrespected. He did not make the initial Pro Bowl roster in December 2018, and he was so angered that he drove to the team facility at 2:30 a.m. after tossing in bed that night, and he slept by his locker. He was a late addition to the game again during the 2019 season, and he was similarly vexed, even if the sleeping arrangements were different.

Johnson was 29 at the time. He thought he was a top-of-the-league player. That was supposed to be the prime of his career, but Johnson’s 30s might have brought better football. Four of his five All-Pro honors have come after his 30th birthday — a fact that wasn’t lost on him when discussing his legacy on Saturday.

“I want to be seen as a guy who continuously got better as he aged, whereas some guys, once they hit (their) 30s, they nosedive,” Johnson said. “Kind of the opposite of me.”

Throughout his Saturday news conference, he continued sprinkling in comments about how he remains a “premier” player, about how he can “surprise” people this year. Johnson was limited to 10 games last season. He did not make the Pro Bowl or either All-Pro team. This summer, he was left off the NFL’s top 100 rankings. He’s one of those who takes perceived slights personally. When he made second-team All-Pro two seasons ago, he taped a sheet of paper on his locker with a side-by-side comparison to the player who made first-team All-Pro — and it does not take a stretch to believe that he’s determined to finish his career validating DiSandro’s claim.

“With rankings, I take offense to some of it,” Johnson said. “I see guys who gave up a lot of quarterback hits last year f—ing in the Pro Bowl, All-Pros. I’ve seen a lot of All-Pros in the past, and usually they have a flawless performance in the pass game (and) in the run game. I don’t know if standards are being lowered or perception or analytics are getting in the way. But there’s also film. Some of these guys, I don’t think it’s all what it’s meant to be. I see a lot of quarterbacks getting hit in the passing game.”

His final season will offer a chance to punctuate his greatness.

As much as Johnson wants to be known for how he plays, it would be a disservice to limit his legacy to the field. Just as his decision to retire after this season was not about performance, the way he’s celebrated this year should not be limited to football. He explained how he wants to be known as a good teammate who would “pick up guys who were not (their) best self mentally.” Johnson’s struggles with mental health are well documented. He missed three games in 2021 after he cycled off his SSRI antidepressant medication, and he acknowledged he battles depression and anxiety. He’s since been a resource to teammates and players elsewhere in the NFL. In 2023, the Eagles nominated him as their Walter Payton Man of the Year candidate.

“There’s no better person deserving of this award. And that’s the truth,” Stoutland said in an interview that season. “From what he’s overcome, and what he does for other people … that he doesn’t want anybody to know. He’s not a hotshot. He doesn’t care about that. He just wants to help people who maybe are in or were in his situation.”

That humanity, even if quiet and understated, should also be part of the six-month celebration ahead. It was why I was curious if Johnson would treat this season differently, knowing the end is coming. He’s long been a locker room favorite. His sense of humor is quickly mentioned by those who know him well. His friendships transcend age and position groups. But being the best tackle in the NFL can be burdensome. Recovering from injuries can lead to a nauseating cycle. Does the final lap change when you see the finish line?

“You don’t get the chance to tell people how much they mean to you. Probably more of that,” Johnson said. “And some reflection. Really showcase my abilities as an older player. I feel like I can surprise some people. … Enjoy the people I’m around and let them know how much they mean to me.”

The farewell tour Johnson earned will allow him to feel it back.