The Philadelphia Eagles are forced to think about the future early after Lane Johnson decided to retire. That has made a future decision on right guard Tyler Steen an easy one.
Johnson was ruled out of the Eagles' 24-20 Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Rams an hour and a half before kickoff due to a personal matter. On Tuesday, he made the announcement that he was retiring from the NFL four games into the 2026 regular season.
This has forced the Eagles to make some roster moves and start planning for the future. General manager Howie Roseman no longer has a choice on Steen. Roseman must get him on a long-term extension before the offseason begins.
Eagles can't afford to let Tyler Steen walk in free agency next offseason
The Eagles drafted Steen in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and he signed a four-year contract with the franchise. 2026 is his final year on the deal, and he will be a free agent next offseason.
Last year, Steen took some heat for his first full season as the starting right guard, replacing Mekhi Becton, who left in free agency to sign with the Los Angeles Chargers. Despite earning a 73.4 overall grade in 2025, many Eagles fans thought Steen struggled compared to the other offensive linemen, when in reality he was one of the most consistent and stable. He played every game last year, even as Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, and Johnson fought through injuries or sat out games.
This season, it appears to be the same story for Steen, as he's playing just as well, if not better, than in 2025. PFF has his overall grade at a 72.8, ranking 17th out of 74 eligible offensive guards. They also gave him a pass-blocking grade of 74.5 (ranked 17th) and a run-blocking grade of 70.7 (ranked 19th).
In 146 pass-blocking grades, Steen has allowed just four pressures through four games. He has also been called on two penalties so far.
Steen is doing his job and staying consistent. The longer he has played, the better he has gotten on the field as a pass-and-run blocker.
Philly will lean on Steen to step up in a major way for the rest of the season, with rookie third-round pick Markel Bell next in line at right tackle. Steen will have to help Bell out to stabilize the right side of the line, which has been consistent for over a decade with Johnson.
That's why getting Steen on a long-term contract is no longer something the Eagles can afford to put off. This has to happen before the season ends.
Letting Steen walk in the prime of his career, with the changes made to the offensive line, will only make things harder for the Eagles. This will require the Eagles to potential let some guys go in trades or releases to create cap space, but it has to happen.
Maybe Dickerson and Jurgens come back in 2027. If they do, at least keep Steen in Philly too, so the offensive line rebuild isn't as bad.
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Losing Steen at this point could be a death blow to the Eagles' future, so whatever Roseman needs to do to make that happen, he's got to work out a deal now rather than later.
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