After speculation circulated earlier this month on the possibility that Eagles left guard Landon Dickerson could retire after only five years in the league, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport are pointing to Dickerson’s most recent Instagram post as evidence that the 27-year-old will be returning for a sixth year of NFL play. 
Earlier this month, surprising news hit the airwaves in Philadelphia as multiple sources reported that Dickerson could retire after only a five-year tenure in the NFL. It was only two years ago that Dickerson signed an extension to stay with the Eagles through the 2028 NFL season, a commitment for which he was rewarded with the highest annual average contract value ($21MM per year) in NFL history (at the time) for an offensive guard.
As often is the case for young NFL retirees, injuries spelled out the story for Dickerson. Dating back to his college days at Florida State and Alabama, Dickerson has undergone 13 surgeries. The Rimington Trophy-winner (best center in college football) was drafted in the second round by the Eagles despite having torn his ACL in the Crimson Tide’s SEC Championship Game appearance in his final season. Still, he was activated off the active/non-football injury list in time to make the initial 53-man roster as a rookie and was cemented into the starting lineup by Week 3 of his rookie campaign.
Originally drafted to be the heir apparent for the eventually retiring Jason Kelce, Dickerson was too talented to keep off the field as a rookie. He ended up fitting in so well slotted in next to left tackle Jordan Mailata that the team abandoned its plans of moving him to center and opted to draft a second-round center for the second year in row, ordaining Cam Jurgens as the new Kelce replacement.
Dickerson’s success persisted over the years despite injuries continuing to hamper him along the way. In the team’s NFC Championship game win following the 2022-23 season, Dickerson suffered a right elbow hyperextension but was able to play through it for the Super Bowl. In the team’s NFC Championship game win following the 2024-25 season, Dickerson was knocked out of the game with a left knee injury that required surgery in the offseason after he was able to, once again, play through it for the Super Bowl.
Things got really scary just before the start of the 2025 regular season when Dickerson needed to undergo meniscus surgery in mid-August. Luckily, he only required a minor procedure, and he was able to return to the field in time for the team’s season opener. It’s honestly impressive how resilient Dickerson has been throughout his injury-riddled career. Despite the numerous maladies he’s sustained over five years in the NFL, Dickerson has only missed seven games in total, and never two in a row.
While the thought that Dickerson was considering hanging up his cleats this early into his career may frighten some fans, his resilience has continued to shine into Year 6. His early retirement may still come in the several years that follow, but as of right now, Dickerson’s position on the offensive line is not one the Eagles have to worry about for the 2026 NFL season.