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Philadelphia Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson announced his retirement Tuesday, bringing his 14-year NFL career playing exclusively with the Birds to a close.
“Philadelphia. You truly are the City of Brotherly Love. The best fans and the most prideful city in the entire world.” Johnson wrote in the announcement posted on his social media accounts.
The two-time Super Bowl champion said he is retiring for personal reasons. He had previously said that this would likely be his last season, but was a surprise inactive during Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He played all snaps of the season’s three games before that.
“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.
Rookie Markel Bell, drafted in the third round from the University of Miami, was Johnson’s replacement for Sunday’s game.
Johnson, 36, joined the Birds as the fourth overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, having played his college football at Kilgore College and the University of Oklahoma.
Along with helping the Eagles to their two Super Bowl titles, he won three NFC championships, six Pro Bowl selections and five All-Pro honors.
“Lane Johnson is an all-time Eagle and one of the best players ever to play his position in NFL history.” Eagles Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie said. “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.”
Off the field, he and teammates Jason Kelce and Jordan Mailata crooned out three Christmas charity records, “A Philly Special Christmas,” “A Philly Special Christmas Special” and “ A Philly Special Christmas Party,” which featured guest voices including Patti LaBelle, Stevie Nicks and Mt. Joy.
“Beyond his on-field accomplishments Lane has done a tremendous amount to give back to the community through his numerous charitable endeavors,” Lurie said. “The courage he has shown using his own personal experiences to advocate for mental health awareness has undoubtedly saved lives.”
