“I’m expecting him back. But whatever happens, happens.”

That was Jordan Mailata’s response when asked if he expects Lane Johnson to be back for his 14th NFL season.

After sustaining a Lisfranc foot sprain in Week 11, Johnson, who hasn’t spoken to the media since October, missed the rest of the season.

There was some initial hope that Johnson could return for the Eagles wild-card playoff matchup with the 49ers, the Eagles didn’t even place him on Injured Reserve following the injury. But Johnson never returned.

Lane Johnson will be thirty-six years old when the 2026 NFL season kicks off. Johnson has addressed retirement rumors numerous times in the last few years, most recently in July of last year.

“I still feel young in heart, but you can’t ignore Father Time,” Johnson said.

“I’m still having fun and enjoying what I do. I love being around the guys, competing, and it’s just something that I really love doing every minute of it.”

In 2024, Johnson said physically, he felt like he could compete until he turned 40, but realistically, he’d play “two or three more years.”

It’s clear the sand in the hourglass is running out on Johnson’s time as a Philadelphia Eagle.

Drafted in 2014, Johnson has been the stalwart of the Eagles offensive line. It’s not hyperbole to say there may not be a more valuable member of the Eagles roster over the past decade than Johnson.

Since he was drafted, the Philadelphia Eagles are 110-57-1 when Johnson is in the lineup.

Without him, that record drops to 18-27. Few statistics can encapsulate the foundational piece that Johnson has been over his 13-year career.

He’s a defining pillar of the organization.

And even as the proverbial book begins to close on his career, Johnson is still playing at an elite level. Per PFF, in 10 games played this past season, Johnson allowed 0 sacks, 0 QB hits, and just 7 total pressures.

Johnson has been an ageless wonder, but he won’t be around forever, and Eagles Executive V.P./General Manager Howie Roseman understands the reality of Johnson’s situation, even if he won’t publicly define it.

“I think all those conversations that we have of our players are between us and anything they’re doing,” Roseman said. “I’m not saying that negatively or positively, but anyone you ask about, I think that that’s their business to discuss. Obviously, you’re talking about a Hall of Fame player who’s been a huge, huge part of any of our success that we’ve had, and when you watch him play, he’s still playing at an elite level.”

Roseman is as keen an executive in professional sports as any. He’s well aware of Johnson’s status and how up in the air it is heading into the 2026 season.

Roseman is also aware of how important Johnson is to the organization, both on the field and off.

He’s talked in the past about how saying goodbye to players is the “worst part of the job.” Roseman has highlighted the emotional difficulty that comes with letting go of players who’ve given their “heart and soul” to the Eagles organization.

Of course, the Eagles aren’t releasing Johnson, but the possibility of him no longer being on the roster is real. And it has to be something that Roseman has to prepare for.

Over recent years, when building the roster, Roseman has invested significant capital into the defensive side of the ball. Roseman referenced this during his end-of-season press conference.

“Well, as you get better, you have a natural arc of the team. I think that when you look at our team, we draft a lot of offensive players, we re-signed a lot of offensive players, [and] we drafted a lot of defensive players that were young on rookie contracts,” Roseman said. “There’s natural transition in what we do.”

That natural transition now points back to the offense. And that transition is inseparable from one key objective: Finding Lane Johnson’s successor.

That task is easier said than done.

Whether you look at Johnson’s athletic profile or the schematic chameleon that he’s shown to be over the course of his career, which has spanned four head coaches, seven offensive coordinators, and numerous personnel shifts around him, it’s almost impossible to replicate the giant that is Lane Johnson in Eagles’ lore.

For Philadelphia, the task of finding Johnson’s successor isn’t as much a sentimental dilemma as it is a foundational one. It changes the overall structure of the offense.

The run game and the latitude Jeff Stoutland has had in designing run concepts because of Johnson’s dominance will change. The passing game and the expansive protection menu that Johnson afforded Jalen Hurts and the offensive staff will change.

If you looked up the definition of a Philadelphia Eagle in the Webster’s Dictionary, a picture of Lane Johnson would pop up. Johnson has been an anchor for the franchise for over a decade.

Few prospects will match his blend of size, athleticism, technical prowess, and IQ. Replacing Lane Johnson and the mammoth that he is will be an incredibly difficult task.

For Howie Roseman’s sake, the hope is simple: Johnson decides to hold on for at least one more season.

If anyone can (and still play at an elite level), it’s Lane Johnson.

Cover Image Credit: The Philly Blitz Media