PHILADELPHIA -- Eagles standout right tackle Lane Johnson announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday.
Johnson, who pondered retirement this offseason, was a surprise inactive for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams. The team did not know until that morning that Johnson would not play.
"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 have changed. Right now it is critical that I focus on my mental health," he wrote in a statement posted to social media.
"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."
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lane Johnson (@lanejohnson65)
Rookie Markel Bell started in his absence. Bell is the most likely candidate to replace Johnson in the lineup for the rest of the season as the 2-2 Eagles adapt to life without one of the best players in franchise history.
Johnson, 36, missed four practices during training camp for personal reasons. He announced upon his return in August that this would likely be his last season in the NFL, with the pull of family life weighing on him. Both of his parents were dealing with health issues, he said. He noted that his oldest child is 13 and "it's hard to get time back, especially those years I feel like are very pivotal."
"As you get older, things change in your life, priorities. Your children get older, your parents get older, it just puts things into perspective," he said at the time. "It's looking like this is potentially going to be probably my last year just because I am getting to that point. Those priorities away from football are starting to merge. I love everything about this game and am preparing for it, but this is kind of where I'm at in my career."
Eagles since drafting Lane Johnson
Lane Johnson's presence has been huge for the Eagles since he was drafted with the No. 4 pick in 2013. Including the playoffs, they boasted a.659 winning percentage when he played compared to.375 when he did not.
Johnson has put together a Hall of Fame-worthy career since being selected fourth overall by the Eagles out of Oklahoma in 2013. He has been named to the Pro Bowl six times and received first-team All-Pro honors twice while helping the Eagles to a pair of Super Bowl championships -- the only two in franchise history.