Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway rode off into the sunset after winning his second straight Super Bowl at the end of the 1998 season. While there really isn’t a better way to end a career, Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson doesn’t plan to follow in Elway’s footsteps if the Eagles are victorious in Super Bowl LIX.
Johnson, 34, was asked ahead of the Super Bowl whether this could be the final game of his standout career that includes six Pro Bowls, two first-team All-Pro nods and a Super Bowl win back in 2017.
“No, I’m definitely not retiring after this game, win or lose,” Johnson said. “Definitely playing next year. That’s really how you take it, I guess, when you get up there in age, you take it one year at a time. Physically, I feel a lot better than I have in the past couple years. Feel really good. For being this late in the year, it’s usually not like that. I’m thankful, we’ve got a good team here to help us out with with all that.”
It’s easy to understand why Johnson plans to continue playing in 2025, as he was just named to his third consecutive Pro Bowl. As he mentioned, Johnson is still good to go physically despite playing one of the most demanding positions in all of sports.
Perhaps more than those reasons, Johnson is playing for a championship-level team, a fact that would drive seemingly any competitor to keep playing. Over the past four years, the Eagles have captured two NFC titles, two NFC East division crowns and have made the playoff four times. The Eagles came close to winning the Super Bowl two years ago, and are back in the big game after winning 16 of their 19 games this season.
Further sweetening the pot for Johnson is the fact that he is also blocking for a 2,000-yard back in Saquon Barkley, who next Sunday can become only the fourth rushing champion to also win that year’s Super Bowl.
2025 Super Bowl: Eagles’ Saquon Barkley can make more history with another long run, this time in big game
Douglas Clawson
