Lane Johnson is under contract for three more seasons and last week he said it’s “very possible” that he plays this contract out before retiring.
But these last few years of his incredible career might be a tad lonelier.
Last offseason, Johnson watched as Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox retired. And this week, he watched as Brandon Graham said his farewell. Johnson is now the last of the Core Four still around.
“The good thing about it is that if they’re not here in the building, I know they’ll be close by,” Johnson said last week. “It’s what I’m really looking forward to. I’m happy for these guys who are making the transition into something else. I’m very happy to be a part of their journey and getting to witness everything they’ve achieved.”
Johnson, who will turn 35 in May, has now taken over for Graham as the Eagles’ longest-tenured player. The Eagles drafted Johnson with the No. 4 overall pick back in 2013 and he will enter Year 13 of his career in 2025.
Even if he plays three more seasons, Johnson knows he’s entering the twilight of his career and that has him in a more reflective mode.
“Yeah, when you’re about to turn 35 you tend to reflect a lot, especially in the league,” Johnson said. “It’s been a fun ride. Coming into the NFL you don’t know what to expect but this fanbase has really embraced me through the good and the bad. I think that the culture here has been a certain way for a long time and I felt like I was introduced to something special and in some aspects we were able to carry on tradition.
“I think that’s what I’m most proud of. With new teammates coming in, to show them what Philadelphia is about, what this team’s about and what it’s like in this building.”
This second act of Johnson’s career after completely healing from a significant ankle injury has been remarkable. Johnson was a Pro Bowler from 2017-2019 before the injury but is now on another three-year run from 2022-24. He was the best right tackle in football last season, despite the snub from All-Pro voters.
And if he puts together two or three more seasons playing at this level, he’s going to have a Hall of Fame resume that is going to be awfully hard for voters to overlook.
When the Eagles used their first-round pick on Johnson back in 2013, the plan was for him to be the eventual replacement for Jason Peters at left tackle. That plan never worked out because Peters kept playing at a high level and Johnson played so well at right tackle the Eagles never wanted to move him. Johnson also played well enough at right tackle to help kill the stigma of playing right tackle across the NFL.
In recent years, there have been plenty of folks wondering if it’s time for the Eagles to draft Johnson’s eventual replacement. They did that a couple years early at the center position with Cam Jurgens, which allowed him to learn directly from Jason Kelce.
Johnson would welcome a similar opportunity to mentor his eventual replacement.
“I think that would be an exceptional experience,” Johnson said. “I credit Jason Peters for my development, keeping me aware of what the culture was like in the city, what I really need to focus on when I’m playing tackle. He was my biggest mentor.
“I think for me, where I’m at in my career, I love talking to the younger guys and helping these guys out. You can see their game develop. And being able to pass that stuff down the way that it was passed down to me is a cool thing.
“It’s not like that at every place. I think the culture has been this way here for a long time. Players have always looked out for the best interest of the team and the organization and so, yeah, I’d be honored to be a part of that process. Whoever we draft and whoever we bring in, I’ll be here to help.”
Because Johnson might play three more seasons, there’s not a rush to find his successor but that doesn’t mean the Eagles can wait too long. Johnson said that occasionally the team will ask for his opinion on draft prospects and he’s happy to help.
Whether or not the Eagles draft his successor next month, Johnson is still the oldest and longest-tenured player on the roster and will likely be voted as a captain for the fourth time by his teammates before the 2025 season begins.
Johnson has outlasted all of his peers. He also takes his role as a leader seriously.
“I think actions speak a lot louder than words can,” he said. “I hope that when I come in here every day, people can see that I have a routine and I’m working, training and hopefully I’m elevating my teammates around me to get better and to do the same thing.”
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