The Philadelphia Eagles offensive line lost another mainstay with Lane Johnson announcing his retirement. Jason Kelce responded to his former teammate's exit. Johnson, who missed Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Rams for personal reasons, revealed Tuesday that he's stepping away to focus on his mental health and family.
The two-time All-Pro could one day join Kelce in Canton after anchoring an elite offensive line for over a decade. Kelce discussed Johnson's retirement on his latest New Heights podcast. Lane is like a brother to me," Kelce said Wednesday.
"I'm not going to pretend to know exactly what's going on or why retirement is happening now. But we're talking about a guy that's an all-time Eagle, a Hall of Fame player, a dude that means the world to me. At the end of the day, he'll look back and realize that he was one of the best tackles to ever play in the NFL, especially from a pass-protection standpoint.
"I love the dude very much. We have shared a lot of moments together on and off the field." Kelce called Johnson's retirement a "major blow" to the Eagles, noting that they have a losing record (18-30) when the six-time Pro Bowler didn't play. "There's a reason why," Kelce said of their struggles without Johnson.
"He's so important to the Philadelphia Eagles on the field." The former All-Pro center, who retired after the 2023 season, pointed out that third-round rookie Markel Bell faces the unenviable task of replacing a franchise cornerstone. Kelce is sad that he won't get to watch Johnson block anymore. "It's gonna be a bummer for me not being able to watch Lane do what he does, dominate the way he is," Kelce said.
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