Philadelphia Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson surprisingly announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday in the middle of the season. His decision to call it a career has sparked plenty of takes, including ESPN's Dan Orlovsky claiming the organization is officially in rebuild mode after losing its star offensive lineman.
During the latest segment on “NFL on ESPN,” Orlovsky explained every reason why the Eagles should approach the rest of this season as a rebuilding year. The ex-quarterback turned analyst compares the club's roster to the 2024 season when Philly last won the Super Bowl, and believes the team is arguably worse in nearly every category.
“I just think this move really signifies rebuild in Philadelphia,” Orlovsky said. “And I know that might be foreign to understand… [The offensive line is] lacking the talent that it did in 2024, lacking the experience it did in 2024. If you look at their defense, outside of Zach Baun, everybody who starts on their defense is a 2022 draft pick or later.
“So, this is just a very, very young football team that one of the keys of their team, and certainly the offensive line, is now retiring?” Orlovsky continued. “I just think it signifies it's gonna take a little bit more time in Philly than probably we and their fanbase wanted.”
Article Continues Below“It’s gonna take a little bit more time in Philly than probably we and their fanbase wanted.”@danorlovsky7 and @minakimes break down what Lane Johnson’s retirement means for the Eagles’ aspirations this season 🤔 pic.twitter.com/XdWZk4xf82
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) October 6, 2026
While a rebuild might be what this franchise needs, we're already four games through the regular season. Philly is not a team that seems willing to tank, and the club's 2-2 record puts them right in the mix of the NFC East. It's still a long season ahead, but only time will tell how this campaign plays out.
The Eagles are relying on rookie third-round pick Markel Bell to play right tackle for the rest of the season with Lane Johnson out of the picture. The former Miami Hurricanes star has already appeared in four games this year, starting in one contest.

