As another training camp passes I’m starting to realize the last of the 2018 Super Bowl team is beginning to dwindle away. Once Brandon Graham retires this year it’ll be another one. If I had to put money on it I’d bet on the last guy from that 2018 team on the Eagles roster will be a toss up between Lane Johnson and Jake Elliott – a dark horse could be Rick Lovato. Long-snappers play forever. But now that Lane Johnson is talking about retiring it might be Elliott left with the torch. That will personally hit hard. He’ll be the first player to retire that will officially make me feel old. I was in college when the Birds drafted him. Good news for us is we still have 2-3 good years left with him:

 

Here’s the full quote in case the tweet cuts off:

Lane Johnson on his future: “I think physically, I can do what Whitworth did and J.P, I can play until I’m 40. With my movement, you ask coaches, you ask players, I think physically I can do it.

“What weighs on my mind, my kids are getting older, my dad’s getting older, had some health issues. I’m thinking 2-to-3 more years, realistically. But we’ll see. It’s hard to step away from something you love, and something you’ve done for so long.

“For me, I grew up as an only child. These are the other brothers that I’ve had, being part of a team. Those are the things that weigh on my mind. But at least 2-to-3 more good years.”

Shout out to Lane for the self-awareness and giving us a timeline. Now Howie can have enough runway to draft his replacement and develop him in time for his retirement a la Cam Jurgens taking over for Jason Kelce. On one hand, I selfishly want him to play until he’s 40. On the other hand, we don’t want another Jason Peters situation. But having Lane for another three years would be a privilege. He could retire now and have a legit shot at the Hall of Fame and go to a bunch of wrestling PPVs and record Christmas albums, but instead he’d rather still give Micah Parsons fits: