​PHILADELPHIA − After being away from the Eagles for a week, star right tackle Lane Johnson came to a realization upon his return.n “Looking like, this is, potentially going to be probably my last year,” Johnson said on Aug. 8. “Because I am getting to that point of those priorities away from football are starting to merge. I love everything about this game and preparing for it. But it’s kind of where I’m at in my career. I’m looking forward to this year, playing the best I can and staying healthy.”n Buy Philadelphia Eagles ticketsn Johnson was away from the team from July 31-Aug. 7. The Eagles said they were excused absences and not injury related. Johnson returned for the Aug. 7 practice and also practiced on Aug. 8. Speaking to the media for the first time since he left, Johnson said he was away to attend to personal issues.n He added that his mother is dealing with some health issues, and that he wants to see his kids grow up.n Johnson will be leaving behind a certain Hall of Fame career. He was the Eagles’ first-round pick in 2013 (No. 4 overall), and a full-time starter from Day 1.n Johnson was selected to six Pro Bowls, with three of them (2022-24) coming after he turned 30 years old. Johnson, long considered one of the top right tackles in the NFL, would have been selected to the Pro Bowl again last season if not for a Lisfranc injury that ended his season midway through.n Still, Johnson said the decision to retire after this season gives him the impetus to go out with another All Pro season (he was named an All Pro five times). Johnson said when he left last week, the plan was always to return. n “I still feel like I can be a premier tackle in this league,” Johnson said. “I’m here, my team supported me, and I’m where I need to be.”n Then he added this: “You can’t play forever. Not everybody can do what LeBron James is doing. I am 36. And it is weird to say, but all the support and all the love here. I plan on having a really good last year.”n Check back later for more on this developing storyn Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl. Sign up for the “Eye On The Eagles” newsletter, emailed to your inbox every Friday morning. Read his coverage of the Eagles’ championship season in “Flying High,” a hardcover coffee-table book from Delaware Online/The News Journal. Details at Fly.ChampsBook.comn This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Why Eagles Lane Johnson cited LeBron James in stunning decision on future