Philadelphia Eagles great Lane Johnson abruptly retires citing ‘mental health’
Lane Johnson, the Philadelphia Eagles’ decorated right tackle and a cornerstone of the franchise for nearly a decade and a half, announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday after 14 seasons.
The 36-year-old, a two-time first-team All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowl selection, said in a statement on social media that he had hoped to play one final season but had decided to step away to prioritize his mental health and spend more time with his family.
“I deeply wanted to gut it out for one more year; to take the field with my brothers for one last season,” Johnson wrote. “But after a lot of reflection, I’ve realized that my personal and family priorities in my life have changed.”
Johnson added that it was “critical that I focus on my mental health”, saying he owed it to his teammates, coaches, the organization and Eagles supporters to be fully committed if he continued playing.
“Right now my heart is telling me that it’s time to say goodbye to football,” he wrote.
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Johnson thanked Philadelphia, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, the organization and his teammates while reflecting on a career in which he became one of the NFL’s most formidable offensive linemen.
“I have given it my all for 14 years, season after season putting 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,” he wrote.
The announcement comes two days after Johnson was a surprise inactive for the Eagles’ loss to the Los Angeles Rams because of a personal matter. He also missed four practices during training camp for personal reasons and, after returning, acknowledged that this season would “probably” be his last.
Johnson, taken by the Eagles with the fourth overall pick in the 2013 draft, retires as one of the most accomplished offensive linemen in team history. He spent his entire NFL career in Philadelphia, starting 171 regular-season games at right tackle and helping the Eagles make three Super Bowls appearances with two wins.
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