There was some consideration prior to the season, but Lane Johnson decided to try and stick it out for one more season. The Philadelphia Eagles' right tackle has been a Pro Bowler or All-Pro in every season where he's played more than 10 games for almost a decade, dating back to 2017. He's been more tied to their success (and roadblocking the Dallas Cowboys) than any player in their recent history, and on Tuesday, he called it quits.
After playing through the first three games of the season but missing Week 4, Johnson announced his retirement from the NFL. Johnson has been one of the NFL's top linemen, and his presence has consistently allowed that franchise's mediocre quarterbacks to bubble up for a stretch of games and carry the team on to playoff
success. The Eagles are 18-29 across his career when he doesn't play, and now Philly will have to toil the rest of the season without him.
Thank you. 🦅 pic.twitter.com/up2kH1K40p
— Lane Johnson (@LaneJohnson65) October 6, 2026
Lane's departure, after earning over $166 million across his career, is obviously big news for the division. The Cowboys and Eagles are both 2-2, a game behind the surprising New York Giants in the NFC East. Only the Giants are already on QB2 for the remainder of the season, opening the door for teams with starting quarterbacks to bridge the gap over the next three months.
The Eagles job just got a ton harder, which makes the Cowboys' job less daunting. The two teams will meet for the first time this season in Week 7 on Monday Night Football. Dallas' odds to win the NFC East are now +130, compared to the Eagles at +135.
Full Lane Johnson text:
Philadelphia. 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.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Sudden retirement from $166M HOFer catapults Cowboys to NFCE favorite
