Just hours after Lane Johnson abruptly announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday afternoon, teammate Jordan Mailata made an appearance on 94WIP.
And Mailata was still processing the news.
“Still a little bit shocked by it all,” Mailata told the afternoon show. “It’s still hard to swallow to be honest.
“To be honest, I’m not going to comment on Lane’s retirement. I don’t want to speak for him or talk about this topic. I think it’s just heavy. It’s hard to deal with right now. I’m still dealing with my emotions, let alone trying to remember all the times we had. Lots of memories to unpack when I think of Lane. I just think about how much I’m going to miss him in the future.”
By the time the Eagles drafted Mailata in the seventh round of the 2018 draft, Johnson was already a Pro Bowl right tackle and coming off the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII victory.
At that time, Mailata knew almost nothing about American football, but the Eagles took a chance on the athletic Australian rugby player. If former offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland was instrumental in Mailata’s growth, Johnson clearly played a role as well.
Mailata and Johnson were teammates for eight full seasons and became close.
“He was the best anyone could ask for,” Mailata said. “He was always available, supportive, knowledgeable and always led by example on and off the field when it came to recovery, doing what’s right for his body, being a good teammate. He showed me a path to follow.
“It’s crazy. It’s crazy, man, to talk about it right now and reflect on when I first got here. Lane was one of the first people to text me when I got drafted and welcome me to the team. He’s definitely a unique player and destined for the Hall of Fame, that’s for sure.”
Mailata said he learned a lot from Johnson about how to take care of his body and establish a routine. And Mailata said one of Johnson’s best qualities was his willingness to help his teammates. Johnson has never been one to control success.
Not only was Johnson the Eagles’ longest-tenured player, but he was also an important captain and leader of the team. Mailata is one of the Eagles’ six remaining captains this season and knows his role moving forward is important. Because it’s a shock to the whole team that Johnson’s locker is empty.
“We have to keep moving forward,” Mailata said. “It’s a little sad to think that Lane was the last of the old guard and now that he’s gone, he’s retired. It’s a sad thing to think about. He was part of the original core four, him, Jason (Kelce), BG (Brandon Graham) and Fletch (Cox). And it was a commendable group and probably one of the greatest of all time in the locker room. Knowing that Lane was the last and now it feels like gone. It’s just a sad thing to think about, at least for me when I think about it.
The Eagles have only played four games so far this season and their offensive line is constantly in flux. As they prepare to face the Jaguars in London in a few days, Landon Dickerson is on IR, Cam Jurgens is in the concussion protocol and Johnson is retired.
Week 1 Offensive Line: Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen, Lane Johnson
Projected Offensive Line for Week 5: Mailata, Willie Lampkin, Drew Kendall, Steen, Markel Bell
Johnson missed Sunday’s game against the Rams for what the Eagles are calling personal reasons. From this point of view, his abrupt retirement was therefore not shocking. Against the Rams, third-round pick Markel Bell was put into action without much notice.
Moving forward, the Miami rookie is expected to replace Johnson. But at least Bell will be able to get all the first team representatives to practice.
“I already know what I’m going to stay at Markel and I’ve already kind of hinted at that,” Mailata said. “I’ll share it with you guys, my advice is something I told myself when people were expecting me to replace the great JP, Jason Peters. I said, ‘I wasn’t here to fill his shoes, I’m here to fill mine.'” This is another opportunity for me to remind Markel that I understand what you’re going through and the only thing you can do now is create your own shoes.
“You’re not here to replace Lane Johnson. You’re here to create your own legacy and your own story and that’s all we want. We just want you to focus on that. You don’t have to be Lane Johnson.”
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