Brandon Graham Returns to the Eagles After Retirement
Veteran defensive end Brandon Graham has decided to come out of retirement and is about to finalize an agreement to rejoin the Philadelphia Eagles this week. Graham, the player with the most time in the franchise, is preparing for his 16th season in the NFL.In a video posted on social media, Graham anticipated a special announcement on his “Unblocked” podcast on Tuesday at 9 a.m.
This news comes after the sudden retirement of Za’Darius Smith last week, who led the defensive end group with 1.5 sacks. The Eagles faced doubts at the defensive end position after the departures of Graham and Josh Sweat. The situation was further complicated by the triceps injury of Nolan Smith Jr., who was placed on the injured reserve list last month, although he is expected to return after the team’s bye week. Ogbo Okoronkwo was also placed on the injured reserve list after the Week 4 game. Graham, 37, returned from a triceps tear to play in last season’s Super Bowl.Graham holds the Eagles’ record for regular season games played (206) and ranks third in franchise history with 76.5 sacks. He was selected for his only Pro Bowl in 2020 and recorded his first double-digit sack season in 2022, with 11. Graham’s catch and fumble over Tom Brady in the final moments of Super Bowl LII secured a narrow victory over the New England Patriots and awarded Philadelphia its first Lombardi trophy.“If I went back, of course I would,” said left tackle Jordan Mailata on Sunday after Philadelphia’s victory in Minnesota. “He’s the guy, the OG guy. One of the most important pieces we had to win the Super Bowl last year. I think he would just add depth and that touch.”
Jordan Mailata
