Eagles’ two-time Super Bowl champion Lane Johnson abruptly retires at 36… two days after pulling out of game for ‘personal reasons’

Philadelphia Eagles legend Lane Johnson has abruptly retired four weeks into the 2026 NFL season.

Johnson, 36, had already indicated this would ‘probably’ be his last season before retiring. But he sat out Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams for ‘personal reasons’ and has now announced he is retiring immediately.

The right tackle is a two-time Super Bowl winner with the Eagles and a franchise legend, twice receiving first-time All-Pro honors during his glittering career since being drafted No.4 overall out of Oklahoma in 2013.

After signing a new one-year deal before last season, he suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 11 then agreed to return in 2026.

However, he missed parts of training camp for personal reasons, later citing his parents’ health and family reasons. He has three kids with wife, Chelsea Goodman, who he met while in college.

Moments before Sunday’s home game against the Rams, he appeared as ‘questionable’ on the injury report for ‘personal reasons’ before later being ruled out and replaced at right tackle by Markell Bell.

He has now hung up his cleats and called time on his career, stating ‘it is critical that I focus on my mental health’ in an emotional statement.

Johnson wrote: ‘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’II 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.’

Eagles chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie added: ‘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.

‘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.

‘Beyond his on-field accomplishments lane has done a tremendous amount to give back to the community through his numerous charitable endeavors. The courage he has shown using his own personal experiences to advocate for mental health awareness has undoubtedly saved lives.

‘We appreciate everything lane has contributed to our organization, and we wish him and his family nothing but the best.’