Lane Johnson's completely out-of-nowhere retirement put the Philadelphia Eagles in a pickle, forcing them to start rookie Markel Bell at right tackle. That hasn't worked out well for them so far.
Bell was selected in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft as Johnson's potential successor. The original plan was for Bell to sit behind Johnson for a year or two before taking over at right tackle.
That got completely flipped on its head when Johnson was ruled out for the Week 4 game against the Los Angeles Rams two hours before kickoff, and Bell became the starter at the last second. Just a few days later, Johnson retired, and Bell took over at right tackle. While experience can help, it's clear after five games that Bell isn't ready right now, and the Eagles need to stop letting him fail on the field.
Markel Bell has had a shaky start to his Eagles career
To put his shaky start in perspective, Bell has allowed five sacks in 205 pass-blocking snaps this season. According to Bleeding Green Nation's Jeff Kerr, Johnson allowed five sacks in 2,908 pass-blocking snaps in the final eight seasons of his Hall of Fame career. Sure, it might be unfair to compare Johnson and Bell, but it shows the struggles that the young tackle is going through.
Markel Bell allowed 2 sacks in 43 pass-blocking snaps last night against the #Commanders.
— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrPHL) November 2, 2026
Bell has allowed 5 sacks this season (205 pass-blocking snaps) -- or as many sacks as Lane Johnson has allowed in his last 8 seasons COMBINED (2,908 pass-blocking snaps). #Eagles
It also doesn't help that Bell is allowed a 7.3% pressure rate this season. That is the seventh-worst for a right tackle in the NFL. He is in the top 20 overall in pressure rate, and that's not a list he wants to be near the top of.
In the Eagles' 27-10 Week 8 loss to the Washington Commanders, Bell really got exposed in the worst way possible in pass protection. He allowed two sacks on 43 pass-blocking snaps. NFL analyst Brian Baldinger shared a clip on X of Bell completely letting Commanders edge rusher K'Lavon Chaisson through, then slamming running back Saquon Barkley to the ground.
Eagles need to help Markel Bell out in some way
Ultimately, Bell is failing because this coaching staff is failing him in the worst way. They are giving him zero support in protection, and they are letting him struggle by himself. That is only going to destroy his confidence for the rest of the season and his career.
There are a couple of ways the Eagles can help their young rookie out. One: actually get Johnny Mundt to do what he was brought to Philly to do for once and block. Adding in a tight end to chip the edge rusher on Bell's side should give the young rookie a chance to succeed.
Another option is to give him a break from starting and let him sit on the bench a bit. The Eagles can put in Fred Johnson at right tackle and take the pressure off Bell to be great in his rookie season.
If the Eagles bench Bell, it shouldn't mean they don't see him as their future. It's just to give him a reset and then bring him back in 2027 as the starting right tackle.
Bell's 6-foot-9 size is incredible, and he has the potential to be a solid NFL starter. He's a good run blocker, but his pass protection techniques have to get better and develop.
Read more: 2026 tank update: Eagles move up to fifth overall draft pick after Commanders loss
The assumption is that head coach Nick Sirianni, offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, and offensive line coach Chris Kuper all collaborate on offensive line decisions. They need to do right by Bell and help him by either adding a blocker to his right or put him on the bench to learn.
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