The Philadelphia Eagles have been hit hard by injuries in their backfield with Tank Bigsby having core muscle surgery and Saquon Barkley working week-to-week through an injured hamstring. Now, the defending NFC East champs will be without one of their key blockers as great right tackle Lane Johnson announce he is retiring.
Johnson, an All-Pro, was a surprise scratch for "personal reasons" in the loss on Sunday to the Los Angeles Rams.
Two days later, he announced his retirement and posted on social media.
"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 have changed. Right now it is critical that I focus on my mental
health," he wrote.
"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."
This was Johnson's 14th year with the Eagles. He played in and started all 171 games in his career.
He was the fourth overall pick in 2013 out of Oklahoma.
"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," Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie said.
"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."
Johnson missed four practices during training camp and discussed changing priorities.
"As you get older, things change in your life, priorities," he said. "Your children get older, your parents get older, it just puts things into perspective," he said. "It's looking like this is potentially going to be probably my last year just because I am getting to that point. Those priorities away from football are starting to merge. I love everything about this game and am preparing for it, but this is kind of where I'm at in my career."
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Eagles star tackle Lane Johnson retires due to 'personal reasons'
