Lane Johnson's shock retirement after 14 seasons leaves the Eagles with an offensive tackle-shaped void in their offensive setup. Precedence would indicate that is not a good thing for those clad in Kelly Green.
Johnson is one of the greatest offensive linemen of his generation, amassing hardware — both of the team and individual variety — while displacing a wide array of the sport's best-ever pass rushers.
At 36, Johnson was clearly on the downturn. But the abrupt nature of his departure, coupled with Philadelphia's toils with injury, leave some feeling a little trepidatious as the Eagles attempt to chart a new path without Johnson.
With that, here's a look at Philadelphia's record with and without Johnson over the years.
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Eagles record without Lane Johnson
Philadelphia has tended to be a lot better with Johnson on the field than without him. The Oklahoma product started 186 games for Philadelphia since the franchise made him the No. 4 pick in the 2013 Draft.
The Eagles posted a 122-63-1 record in those matchups, good for a 65.6% win rate during that spell. While Johnson alone isn't to blame for the team's success, the six-time Pro Bowler certainly played his part, driving defenders into the ground to create openings for the likes of Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, Lesean McCoy and more.
When the Eagles have been without Johnson, they have looked a lot less prolific. In the 48 games Johnson missed across his glittering career, Philadelphia finished with a paltry 18-30 (.400) mark.
The offensive line has been the foundation to much of what the Eagles have done well over the past decade or so. Johnson, a two-time first-team All-Pro selection, played a starring role on that unit, using his dizzying combination of strength and speed to create leverage and open up holes in the defense. Johnson also was a formidable pass blocker in his pomp, failing to surrender a sack in 1,405 straight pass snaps from 2020-23, an NFL record. During that spell, Johnson set a separate NFL record, going 961 snaps without a knockdown.
Johnson's powers definitely waned in his final few seasons. And yet, his proficiency on the line of scrimmage remained critical to helping Philly move down the field. Entering into the season, Philadelphia averaged 0.04 EPA per play with Johnson on the field, per CBS Sports. Without him, that figure sank to -0.05, the sixth-worst mark during that span.
Rookie Markel Bell will likely be tasked with replacing Johnson in the short- and long-term. He'll have his work cut out for him given Johnson's dominance in the trenches.
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Why did Lane Johnson retire?
Johnson announced his intention to end his NFL career effective immediately in a statement released to social media on Tuesday. He had been a surprise absence in the Eagles' Week 4 loss to the Rams, having failed to alert the team until before kickoff that he was not planning on playing.
"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," Johnson 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."
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Johnson flirted with retirement in the offseason. He missed four practices during training camp for personal reasons before returning in August and announcing that the 2026 season would likely be his last. His parents have some health problems, while his eldest child is 13 — a time he called "pivotal" for him to step into.
"As you get older, things change in your life, priorities," Johnson said at the time. "Your children get older, your parents get older, it just puts things into perspective.
"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."
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