Lane Johnson believes he hasn’t hit his ceiling yet: “I feel better than when I was 29”
The Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle says he’s “getting close” to his peak, as the Super Bowl champions prepare for the 2025 season.
Veteran Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson says he believes he’s still approaching the peak of his powers, as he prepares for his 13th season in the NFL.
“Getting close to my peak”
“I feel like even though I’m 35, I feel like I’m better than I was when I was 29, 30,” Johnson told reporters on Thursday, per NBC Sports Philadelphia.
“I had the [ankle] surgeries and so for me the toughest year was the games that I missed in ’21. And you can you can clearly see on film if you go back and watch it, I was very hindered with my left foot.
“And now, I feel like I’m getting close to, you know, maybe my peak. As weird as it is to say, but that’s truly how I feel.
“Maybe they need to do a Combine for guys [who have been in the NFL for] 10 years, to see how we do compared to 10 years ago.”
Accumulating accolades well into 30s
Drafted by the Eagles in 2013, Johnson has helped Philadelphia to two Super Bowl titles - most recently in 2024, when he started all but two games in the team’s run to the NFL championship.
A six-time Pro Bowler, Johnson has secured three of his selections since he turned 30. The former Oklahoma Sooner has also earned all but one of his five All-Pro nods over the last four seasons.
“Very happy with how things have turned out”
The longest-serving player on the current Eagles roster, Johnson signed a one-year contract extension in March, keeping him at the franchise until the end of the 2027 season.
“I’m very happy with how things have turned out,” he said on Thursday as he looked back on his Eagles career so far.
“You know, when you’re in it, when you’re still playing, there’s always more to do, more to strive for. But, looking back, I’m very happy with how my career has gone, the players I got to play with, the mentors.”
“So yeah, I’m very fortunate. I don’t know if I would be the same player or what would happen if I was with another organization. But this place has got the most out of me.
“And whatever time I have left, I think we can still be very, very good.”
“Best offensive lineman in the world”
Speaking in January, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni lauded Johnson as the best in the business in his position.
“Every time you have an opportunity to be around Lane and watch him play… I can’t tell you how many times I’m watching the tape and I’m like, ‘Man, this guy is one of the best football players in the world,'" Sirianni told reporters.
“‘This guy is the best offensive lineman in the world.’
“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched a pass protection and said that to myself, or paused it and said it to the offensive staff when we’re watching tape together.”
When does the Eagles’ 2025 season start?
Rated as +750 joint favorites to win Super Bowl LX next February, the Eagles kick off their 2025 NFL season on September 4, when Sirianni’s men take on the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field (8:20 p.m. ET/5:20 p.m. PT).
Before then, Philadelphia has preseason games against the Cincinnati Bengals (August 7), the Cleveland Browns (August 16) and the New York Jets (August 22).
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