Lane Johnson’s Markel Bell endorsement will ease Eagles fans’ minds before his retirement

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When Lane Johnson let it be known that he was strongly considering retiring from football after the 2026 NFL season, it hit Philadelphia Eagles fans in their feelings.

The longest-tenured member of the team by a solid margin – at least if/until Brandon Graham re-signs – Johnson has been arguably the Eagles’ best offensive player for the last decade, allowing Jeff Stoutland to keep him on an island as he coached multiple Super Bowl-caliber offensive lines.

Discussing his decision and the forthcoming season with reporters on Saturday, Johnson gave fans a reason to be hopeful about the future, as his primary backup, Markel Bell, is one of the “best rookies” the fourth overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft has ever been around.

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“He’s one of the best rookies I’ve been around just as far as being in the playbook. No complaining. I haven’t heard him complain one time. And he’s always asking questions,” Johnson noted.

“So just a really mature young man, handles stuff off the field well. He’s just always asking questions. And I mean, you can tell he was coached up well at Miami. And yeah, man, I see a guy with that size and that ability and that wingspan and movement, he can have a lot of success in this business.”

Standing 6-foot-9, 346 pounds, Bell’s performance has been the talk of camp all summer, with the Miami product holding his own at the right tackle spot in Chris Kuper’s offensive line as Johnson has been away from the team. With a year to learn under one of the best right tackles in NFL history and a chance to see the field as a sixth tackle situationally, who knows? Maybe the Eagles will be able to go from one top-tier starter to another just like they did when Jordan Mailata took over for Jason Peters on the other side of the line.

While Eagles RT Lane Johnson announcing this is his last season is hard to hear, it’s just as important to hear him speak highly of Markel Bell:

“He’s one of the best rookies I’ve been around.”

(🎥: @Eagles) pic.twitter.com/7R7nbYIzpD

— Anthony DiBona (@DiBonaNFL) August 8, 2026

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