Lane Johnson

The Eagles will once again have stability at the right tackle spot next season. Lane Johnson‘s decorated career will continue in 2026.

Johnson informed Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer that he will play next year. The All-Pro himself has since provided a confirmation on X. A retirement call will be delayed for at least one more season as a result.

Earlier this month, it was reported Johnson was one of two Eagles O-line starters giving thought to retirement. The other is guard Landon Dickerson, whose situation is based not on age but on his injury history. Johnson missed considerable time in 2025, but McLane notes his rehab from a Lisfranc injury is ongoing. A full campaign in 2026 would be critical for Philadelphia’s offense.

There will be plenty of new faces on the sideline for the Eagles next year. Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo was dismissed immediately after the Eagles were eliminated in the wild-card round. Not long after, longtime offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland resigned. As a result, the team will have a new O-line coach for the first time since 2013. Johnson’s ability to maintain his Pro Bowl form upon returning to full health will be key in determining the success of the transition along the coaching staff.

In place with the Eagles since being drafted fourth overall in 2013, Johnson has cemented his status as one of the greatest players in franchise history. The 35-year-old has remained a full-time starter throughout his tenure, and that will of course continue next season as well. Johnson is under contract for two more years, although none of his 2026 or ’27 base salaries are guaranteed at this point.

Nevertheless, the two-time Super Bowl winner’s pact calls for a $9MM option bonus to be paid out on September 1. All parties can now proceed knowing there is no longer any uncertainty on that front. Johnson is scheduled to carry a cap charge of $20.3MM next season.

The Eagles are set to get some major reinforcement on their offensive line. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, offensive tackle Lane Johnson is expected to return to practice this week.

[RELATED: Eagles Won’t Place RT Lane Johnson On IR With Lisfranc Sprain]

Johnson has been sidelined for the past month with a Lisfranc sprain. The veteran ended up avoiding surgery on his foot, and as a result, the Eagles opted against placing him on injured reserve. Johnson has missed the team’s past four games, so perhaps the organization was a bit too optimistic about the recovery timeline. Either way, the lineman should be back in the lineup sooner than later, with Rapoport noting that Johnson is eyeing a return in either Week 16 or Week 17.

A former fourth-overall pick, Johnson has emerged as one of the league’s premier right tackles during his decade-plus in Philadelphia. The veteran has earned four-straight All-Pro nods, but it remains to be seen if his injury will prevent him from keeping that streak going. For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus currently has Johnson ranked 19th among 82 qualifying offensive tackles; he ranked no lower than 13th during his active All-Pro stretch.

The Eagles have turned to Fred Johnson during his teammate’s absence, with the veteran backup not missing an offensive snap over the past four games. Pro Football Focus has never been particularly fond of the fill-in’s ability, although they have been relatively bullish on his pass-rush skills in 2025. Johnson’s run-block grade, meanwhile, ranks among the bottom-20 at the position.

The Eagles will be especially happy to insert Johnson back into the starting lineup. When the lineman went down with his injury, the Eagles were 8-2. Since then, the team has gone 1-3, with the lone victory coming against the lowly Raiders this past weekend. While Philly still seems like a lock to secure the NFC East, Johnson could help the offense find their footing before the postseason begins.

NOVEMBER 22: As it turns out, Johnson will avoid placement on injured reserve. Per McLane, the veteran right tackle won’t require surgery for the Lisfranc injury to his right foot, so the original four- to six-week prediction is no longer the expectation. The fact that he won’t end up on IR indicates a strong possibility that he will be able return within four games, making a Week 14 return the new target date.

NOVEMBER 18: X-rays will not be possible until the inflammation in Johnson’s ankle subsides, McLane notes. As a result, it could be one week or more until a determination regarding surgery is ultimately made.

NOVEMBER 17: The Eagles pulled off a 16-9 win over the Lions on Sunday, but they lost one of their best players in the process. Right tackle Lane Johnson suffered a Lisfranc sprain in his foot and will miss four to six weeks, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com report.

There’s optimism that this isn’t a season-ending injury. However, it won’t be confirmed until the results of Johnson’s X-rays come back, per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. At the very least, an IR placement looks like a strong possibility.

If Johnson goes on IR before the Eagles-Cowboys game this Sunday, he’ll be eligible to return in Week 16. Fred Johnson will presumably step in as the Eagles’ right tackle over the next several weeks.

Lane Johnson, 35, has evolved into a potential Hall of Famer since the Eagles chose him fourth overall in 2013. The former Oklahoma Sooner has started in all 168 career regular-season games. Johnson has picked up six Pro Bowl invitations, earned All-Pro honors five times, and won two Super Bowls along the way.

Johnson was a key part of a dominant offensive line that helped lead the Eagles to a championship last season. The 6-foot-6, 325-pounder has continued his standout play this year, as Pro Football Focus ranks his performance 16th among 62 qualifying OTs.

Fortunately for the Eagles, who improved to 8-2 in Week 11, they should coast to an NFC East title even without Johnson. The 3-5-1 Cowboys are well behind them, while the Commanders and Giants are a combined 5-17. However, losing Johnson could have a negative effect on Philadelphia’s chances to lock up the conference’s No. 1 seed. The 8-2 Rams are among the teams nipping at the Eagles’ heels.

Following the 2023 season, Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox retired. Those decisions ended the careers for two of Philadelphia’s ‘Core Four’ players, but Brandon Graham and Lane Johnson remain in the fold.

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The latter made it clear in the aftermath of the Eagles’ wild-card loss that he would not give consideration to retiring. Johnson’s latest comments on his future confirm that stance, although the five-time Pro Bowler is aware his decorated career is winding down. For the time being, at least, he can be penciled into the starting lineup up front.

“I think physically, I can do what [Andrew] Whitworth did and [Jason Peters], I can play until I’m 40,” Johnson said (via PHLY’s Zach Berman). “With my movement, you ask coaches, you ask players, I think physically I can do it… I’m thinking two to three more years, realistically. But we’ll see. It’s hard to step away from something you love, and something you’ve done for so long.”

At the age of 34, Johnson has a long way to go if he is to seriously contemplate matching what Whitworth and Peters were able to accomplish. Citing his family as a reason for stepping away from football relatively soon, though, his given timeline would set him up to retire well before reaching the age-40 mark. The two-time All-Pro is under contract through 2026.

Johnson’s deal calls for cap hits ranging between $15.87MM and $18.7MM during that span, and he is owed $20MM each pf the next three years. Option payments are due on September 1 for all three years before the contract voids, a setup which had his future retirement in mind when the pact was worked out last year. The Eagles are set to carry signficant dead money charges after Johnson hangs up his cleats through the addition of void years, but alterations could of course be made depending on his playing future.

The Super Bowl LII winner is among the highest earners for offensive linemen in NFL history, but his continued strong play deep into his career has him positioned to remain an unquestioned RT starter for the next few years. Johnson’s decision on his playing career will likely remain a talking point for him and the Eagles, although for at least the time being retirement may not be a front burner issue.