Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson was unexpectedly scratched from the lineup on Sunday, with the team citing “personal reasons.” On Tuesday, he announced his retirement.
“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,” Johnson wrote, in part, in a statement on social media. “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.”
Johnson missed time at the start of training camp and said his mother had been dealing with some health issues when he returned to the team.
The Eagles lost on Sunday, dropping their record to 18-30 without Johnson and 122-63-1 with him since drafting him in the first round in 2013.
Johnson, 36, is a six-time Pro Bowler and was first-team All-Pro twice. He started 171 career regular-season games and 15 in the postseason, and Johnson won two Super Bowl rings.
He missed seven games last season with a Lisfranc foot injury.