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Eagles RT Lane Johnson, LG Landon Dickerson Could Retire

By | at February 6, 2026 8:58 am

After longtime offensive line coach/run game coordinator Jeff Stoutland stepped down earlier this week, the Eagles may be facing even bigger changes up front. Right tackle Lane Johnson and left guard Landon Dickerson could retire, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer said on his Uncovering the Birds podcast. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network hears similarly in regards to Dickerson.

Johnson, who signed an extension through 2027 less than a year ago, expressed confidence that he’d play out the contract. While McLane expects that to happen, Johnson is now contemplating his future in the wake of an injury-limited season. A Lisfranc sprain kept the 35-year-old stalwart out of the Eagles’ last seven regular-season games and their wild-card round loss to the 49ers.

At 27, it’s far more surprising that Dickerson may have played his last down. Dickerson inked an extension through 2028 two years ago. However, it’s clear that injuries have taken their toll on the five-year veteran.

Dating back to his college days at Florida State and Alabama, Dickerson has undergone 13 surgeries, including a right meniscus operation last August. Dickerson managed to make it back for Week 1, though an ankle injury later shelved him for two games.

When healthy enough to play, both Johnson and Dickerson have been full-time starters throughout their careers. Johnson has started in all 168 appearances since the Eagles chose the ex-Oklahoma Sooner fourth in the 2013 draft. He’s now a six-time Pro Bowler, a five-time All-Pro (three second-team selections, two first-team nods) and a two-time Super Bowl champion. Johnson, whom Pro Football Focus ranked 19th out of 86 qualifying tackles in 2025, is still capable of playing at a high level.

The same is true of Dickerson, PFF’s 28th-rated guard among 80 qualifiers this past season. Since the Eagles drafted him in the second round in 2021, Dickerson has started in 77 of 78 appearances and earned three Pro Bowl trips.

Like Johnson, he was an integral part of a line that helped lead the Eagles to their most recent Super Bowl title in 2024. They also played major roles in running back Saquon Barkley‘s 2,000-yard campaign, the ninth in league history.

With free agency a little over a month away and the draft coming up in April, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman is surely hoping for answers on the futures of Johnson and Dickerson sooner than later. That’s especially true with reserve linemen Fred Johnson and Brett Toth slated to hit the open market.

Thanks to Lane Johnson’s injury, Fred Johnson made eight starts in 2025. Fred Johnson said last month he’d like to re-sign with the Eagles, but he also considers himself as a starting-caliber player. If the 28-year-old sees a clearer path to playing time elsewhere, he could exit Philadelphia next month.

It may be easier to retain Toth, who has only made six starts in five-year career. He picked up a career-high four this past season while logging 199 snaps at left guard and 164 at center. Re-signing Toth would at least give the Eagles more depth along the interior, where they could lose Dickerson.

Even if both Johnson and Dickerson hold off on retiring, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Roseman focus on replenishing the offensive line in the draft. Roseman hasn’t picked an O-lineman in the third round or higher since he chose right guard Tyler Steen in Round 3 (65th overall) in 2023. Steen is now fresh off his first season as a full-time starter. Steen, left tackle Jordan Mailata and center Cam Jurgens are locked in as starters heading into 2026, but there are now serious questions surrounding the other two spots.

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