Brandon Graham

Brandon Graham Could Return If Eagles Reach Super Bowl

December 17th, 2024 at 9:44am CST by Adam La Rose

When Brandon Graham suffered a triceps tear in November, it became clear he would not play again during the regular season. His Eagles tenure and NFL career may very well be over as a result, but the veteran defensive end has not completely shut the door to a return this winter.

Graham has spent his entire 15-year tenure in Philadelphia, and he said in July he would retire following the 2024 campaign. Triceps tears come with lengthy recovery timetables, and the 36-year-old said in the aftermath of the game in which his took place he would out for the rest of the year. During a Tuesday appearance on WIP 94, though, Graham was asked about playing in the Super Bowl should the Eagles make it to the championship game.

“Anything is possible, so that’s how I’m gonna feel,” he replied. “Just know we workin’ trying to see what happens. We got to get there. Guess I’ll be ready to tell you when we get there.”

With their winning streak currently sitting at 10, the Eagles are 12-2 on the year. That record leaves the team level with the Lions and Vikings for the best mark in the NFC, and the final three weeks of the season will determine which one will secure the No. 1 seed. If they continue their strong performances through the postseason, the Eagles could very well find themselves in the Super Bowl for the third time in Graham’s career.

Philadelphia won the title in 2017, one of the years in which he served as a full-time starter along the edge. The former first-rounder has remained durable through much of his Philadelphia tenure, although in recent years he has seen his workload decline with the team bringing in younger options along the edge. Graham’s presence has nevertheless been missed as the Eagles have dealt with other injuries at the position.

Bryce Huff is on injured reserve while recovering from wrist surgery, a procedure which interrupted his debut Philadelphia campaign. The high-priced free agent pickup did not live up to expectations prior to suffering the injury, but he could return before the end of the regular season and handle at least a part-time pass rushing role. If the Eagles manage to put together a deep postseason run, Graham’s recovery status will become a storyline worth following.

Eagles Claim Charles Harris, Place Brandon Graham On IR

November 26th, 2024 at 3:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Having lost defensive end regulars Brandon Graham and Bryce Huff in the span of a few days, the Eagles are using the waiver wire for help. They are keeping Charles Harris out of free agency.

The Eagles will claim the veteran edge rusher after his Panthers cut, PHLY.com’s Zach Berman reports. Tied to a veteran-minimum salary, Harris will be due barely $400K for the season’s remainder. Philadelphia is placing Graham on IR to clear space for Harris.

Harris, 29, was the Panthers’ co-leader in sacks (three) this season. Carolina had seen its EDGE situation stabilize, to a degree, with D.J. Wonnum debuting after an extended rehab journey. Harris started six games for the Panthers this season but had seen his playing time dip with Wonnum back alongside Jadeveon Clowney.

The six starts were Harris’ most since 2021. The former Miami first-rounder had spent three seasons in Detroit, working as a spot starter as the Dan Campbell– and Brad Holmes-driven rebuild formed. Harris totaled 7.5 sacks for a 3-13-1 Lions team in 2021 but combined for just 2.5 over the next two seasons. After a regular Panthers role, it would seem more likely Harris settles in as a Eagles rotational backup.

Philly had a deep D-end contingent heading into Week 11 but decided to place Huff on IR due to a wrist injury. Huff is expected back late this season, but Graham is not. Although Graham sacked Matthew Stafford on Sunday night, he did not finish the game. The first 15-year Eagle in franchise history, Graham said postgame he suffered a triceps tear that is likely to keep him out for the rest of the season. Graham, 36, had said in July this would be his final campaign; though, he stopped short of confirming that when asked again Sunday night.

Harris joins a DE group that still houses a healthy Josh Sweat, with 2023 first-rounder Nolan Smith and rookie third-round Jalyx Hunt also in the mix. The waiver claim will become the fourth DE on Philly’s 53-man roster. Hunt has only played 66 defensive snaps this season. Either his workload expands by a notable margin or the Eagles plug Harris in after his run as a Panthers regular.

Brandon Graham Suffers Triceps Tear

November 24th, 2024 at 11:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brandon Graham made Eagles history this year, becoming the first player in franchise history to suit up for a 15th season with the franchise. The 36-year-old edge rusher also made an impact in Sunday night’s game, but it is now expected to be his last this season — and potentially his final NFL contest.

Following the game, Graham said (via ESPN.com’s Tim McManus) he suffered a triceps tear. This injury regularly shelves players for extended periods, and while it may be slightly premature to deem Graham done for the season, he went as far as to proclaim his campaign is over.

While this injury comes for an Eagles team that just lost Bryce Huff for a period due to a wrist injury. Huff landed on IR this week but is expected back later this season. For the time being, an Eagles team flush with D-end investments will be shorthanded.

As for Graham, it is fair to speculate on whether Sunday night will be his NFL finale. The Eagles have continued to sign the 2010 first-round pick to one-year contracts, and he put off retirement to play a 15th season this year. Graham said this offseason he would retire after the 2024 season, though he did not confirm that when asked postgame.

Graham left the Eagles’ Week 12 win over the Rams during the fourth quarter. He sacked Matthew Stafford once and compiled three QB hits in Philadelphia’s convincing road victory. If Graham’s season is over, he finishes with 3.5 sacks and seven QB hits in 11 games. The Eagles have Josh Sweat and Nolan Smith still healthy on the edge, and the team drafted Jalyx Hunt in Round 3 this year. The Eagles regularly pour premium assets into their lines, but the 9-2 team is now down two regulars.

The Eagles re-upped Graham on a one-year, $4MM deal in March. This came when the club’s “Core Four” split via the retirements of Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox. Graham and Lane Johnson remain, though it has been expected the quartet would lose another member after this season. Steve Smith famously put off retirement because he suffered an injury in what was to be his exit year (2015), but it remains to be seen how Graham will handle his own late-career setback.

Drafted before the other three core Eagles linemen, Graham has 79 sacks for his career. This does not include the Super Bowl LII takedown of Tom Brady, a forced fumble that became one of the most iconic plays in Eagles history. The sequence led to the Eagles staving off the Patriots and winning their lone Super Bowl and celebrating their first championship since 1960.

Graham has started 106 games but has settled in as a rotational rusher, accumulating a career-high 11 sacks during the 2022 season — an NFC championship campaign that nearly broke the 1984 Bears’ single-season sack record of 72. The Eagles finished with 70 sacks that year. Tonight marked the Michigan alum’s 206th as an Eagle — 13 more than the next-closest player (Kelce). Graham broke Chuck Bednarik‘s mark by playing a 15th season with the franchise.

Philly let Haason Reddick seek a trade, preceding what turned out to be a messy year for the accomplished sack artist, and Sweat is due for free agency in 2025. The team has Graham in place as an apparent stopgap, given his offseason retirement comments, and Huff has seen his role diminish despite signing a three-year, $51.1MM deal. It will be interesting to see how Philly goes about reassembling its pass-rushing puzzle following its two recent setbacks, and monitoring Graham’s future plans — which appear less clear now — will be necessary in the coming months.

Eagles’ Brandon Graham To Retire After 2024 Season

July 25th, 2024 at 8:44am CST by Adam La Rose

The Eagles saw two members of their ‘Core Four’ retire following the 2023 season. Center Jason Kelce and defensive tackle Fletcher Cox have elected to hang up their cleats, but defensive end Brandon Graham will play out one more year in Philadelphia.

The latter confirmed at the start of training camp that 2024 will be the final year of his decorated career. Graham, 36, worked out a one-year, $4MM deal in March. That pact came as no surprise given the mutual interest which existed on a final campaign being spent with the only organization he has played for.

“Last first day as a player. I don’t know what the future holds with the organization,” Graham said when speaking to the media (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). “It’s my last year, so just trying to soak it all in, trying to enjoy every day.”

The former first-rounder made it clear in the aftermath of the Eagles’ wild-card loss in January he (along with right tackle Lane Johnson) intended to continue playing in 2024. Graham already holds the franchise record for games played (195), and suiting up for the coming campaign will make him the first Eagle to play 15 seasons with the organization. He will look to add to his personal accolades this year in addition to winning a second Super Bowl.

Graham served as a starter along the edge from 2015-21, but over the past two seasons he has seen his playing time drop. The Michigan product logged a snap share of 43% in 2022, and that figure fell to 34% last year. The Eagles have Josh Sweat and free agent addition Bryce Huff in place as projected starters at the defensive end spot, along with 2023 first-rounder Nolan Smith positioned to take on an increased workload.

While plenty will be expected of that trio, Graham will continue to contribute in a rotational capacity this season. He posted only three sacks last year, but the 2022 campaign saw him set a career high in that department with 11. Regardless of what happens on the field in 2024, Graham will look to find a role in the organization once he officially hangs up his cleats.

Eagles Re-Sign DE Brandon Graham

March 9th, 2024 at 10:43am CST by Ben Levine

Brandon Graham is sticking around Philadelphia for a 15th season. The team announced that they’ve re-signed the veteran defensive end to a one-year extension.

There were rumblings earlier this week that the two sides were working towards a new deal, and Graham confirmed his plan to re-sign with the Eagles the other day.

There was some speculation that the veteran could call it a career following the Eagles’ disappointing end to the 2023 campaign. However, the defensive lineman was quick to dismiss that notion, stating that he still has a “little bit of juice” left in his tank. Graham also expressed interest in a farewell tour, an indication that 2024 will likely mark his final NFL season.

When he takes the field in 2024, Graham will set the record for the longest tenure with the Eagles organization. He tied Philly legend Chuck Bednarik by playing a 14th season with the team last year. Graham set another franchise mark last season, passing David Akers for the most games played in Eagles history.

Once one of the Eagles’ most dependable starters, Graham has transitioned to a backup role in recent seasons. He only started one of his 17 appearances in 2022, appearing in 43 percent of his team’s defensive snaps. Still, the former first-round pick managed to compile 11 sacks, earning him a one-year, $5MM extension last offseason.

He continued to serve as a backup for Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat in 2023, appearing in all 17 games. However, he was limited to only 395 defensive snaps; ignoring his two-game stint in 2021, that was Graham’s lowest total since 2013. Despite the drop in playing time, Pro Football Focus still ranked Graham 17th among 118 qualifying edge defenders.

The future of the Eagles’ pass-rushing corps is in doubt, as both Reddick and Sweat are reportedly on the trade block. The organization could be eyeing a new and/or inexperienced edge grouping in 2024, highlighted by 2023 first-round pick Nolan Smith. In that scenario, Graham’s veteran know-how will certainly come in handy as the team transitions to new defensive leaders.

Eagles, DE Brandon Graham Moving Toward Deal?

March 7th, 2024 at 4:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the Eagles’ “Core Four” linemen has committed to retiring. With Jason Kelce out of the picture, Fletcher Cox has now been tied to walking away. The second-oldest member of this quartet still wants to play, however.

Brandon Graham may well be moving close to another Eagles agreement. The veteran defensive end said during an appearance on WIP SportsRadio the plan is for him to re-sign with the Eagles; the 35-year-old pass rusher added (via PHLY Sports) he is confident a deal will be completed.

Graham tied Eagles legend Chuck Bednarik by playing a 14th season with the team last year; a 15th would make the former first-round pick the longest-tenured player in Eagles history. Expressing interest of reaching the 15-season plateau back in 2022, Graham surpassed David Akers‘ franchise record for games played last season. He has played in 195 regular-season games.

Graham no longer serves as the Eagles’ top pass rusher or even a regular starter, with Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat in place as the team’s top edge performers. Both are going into contract years, and Roseman has already given Reddick permission to seek a trade. Tied to a $15MM contract he has outplayed, Reddick has led the Eagles in sacks in each of the past two seasons. Graham, however, has served as an important role player.

Responsible for one of the greatest plays in Eagles history — the fourth-quarter strip of Tom Brady that led to a Super Bowl LII triumph — Graham has reached eight sacks in a season three times since. In 2022, Graham’s career-high 11 sacks helped the Eagles threaten the 1984 Bears’ single-season NFL record. Graham re-signed on a one-year, $5MM accord to stay on in 2023, though he notched only three sacks last season. Even though the salary cap has climbed to $255.4MM, Graham will have a tough time securing more than that $5MM payment to stay with the team.

On a related note, Graham does expect Cox to walk away after 12 seasons. The 2012 first-round pick has been vital to the Eagles’ modern success. Cox retiring would lead to the Eagles losing DT starters in consecutive offseasons, with Javon Hargrave joining the 49ers last year. Of course, the line-obsessed franchise has prepared for this, with Jalen Carter joining ex-college teammate Jordan Davis in last year’s first round.

Latest On Eagles DE Brandon Graham

March 4th, 2024 at 9:34pm CST by Ben Levine

Brandon Graham and the Eagles are interested in a new deal, and it sounds like there’s confidence that a deal could soon be finalized. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, there’s “mutual interest” in Graham re-signing with Philly, and a new contract “could come prior to free agency.”

There were some whispers earlier today that the Eagles and Graham had indeed agreed to a new deal. Rapoport said that isn’t true, but the reporter did provide some optimism that a deal could be completed sooner than later.

After spending the past 14 seasons with the Eagles, it would be a major surprise if the two sides couldn’t find common ground. After finishing up his three-year, $40MM extension with the Eagles in 2022, Graham re-signed with the Eagles on a one-year, $5MM deal last offseason. He was coming off an 11-sack campaign the last time around, but after failing to come close to those numbers in 2023, Graham may have to accept an even lower total in 2024.

Following the Eagles’ disappointing finish to the 2023 campaign, there was some speculation that the 35-year-old could look to hang up his cleats. However, Graham was quick to dismiss that notion, stating that he still has a “little bit of juice” and intends to have a “farewell tour” in 2024. The former first-round pick also hinted that he’d be interested in sticking with the organization when his playing career comes to an end.

While Graham’s counting stats dropped in 2023 (16 tackles, three sacks), Pro Football Focus still ranked him 17th among 118 qualifying edge defenders. He got into about a third of his team’s defensive snaps, and assuming Graham re-signs with the organization, he’ll likely be eyeing a similar role in 2024. Graham will also have an opportunity to build on some of his franchise marks next season. The veteran only needs 3.5 sacks to pass Clyde Simmons for third place on the franchise leader board, and he needs one forced fumble to break away from Seth Joyner for sole possession of second place on the team’s all-time list.

Eagles’ Lane Johnson, Brandon Graham Intend To Play In 2024

January 16th, 2024 at 5:24pm CST by Ben Levine

Following last night’s disappointing playoff loss, we learned that at least one Eagles star was calling it career. Fortunately for the organization, a pair of veterans made it clear that they’ll be sticking around for 2024. Defensive end Brandon Graham and offensive lineman Lane Johnson told reporters that they intend to play next season, per Zach Berman of PHLY.

After spending the past 14 years in Philly, it was unclear if 2023 would be the final season of Graham’s career. While the 35-year-old didn’t come close to replicating his 11-sack campaign from 2022, he still finished the season having compiled 16 tackles, three sacks, and six QB hits. While the counting stats were down, Pro Football Focus ranked Graham 17th among 118 qualifying edge defenders.

Graham has continued to re-sign with the Eagles on short-term deals, and it sounds like he intends to stick around for at least one more season.

“I still feel like I got a little bit of juice,” Graham told reporters (h/t SPORTSRADIO 94WIP on X). “I really just want to have this one be [season No.] 15, farewell tour, call it a day, and move up in the organization and go upstairs and do that part on serving the guys. Keep building this thing.”

Johnson earned his third-straight All-Pro nod in 2023, and he managed to get into 16 games for the first time since the 2015 season. Despite the 2023 campaign marking his age-33 season, Johnson still managed to rank 11th among 83 qualifying offensive tackles, per Pro Football Focus. While Graham hinted at one more year, it sounds like Johnson could be sticking around the NFL for a few more years.

“I plan on finishing my career strong,” Johnson said (via Berman). “I think I have a few good years left and I’m going to take it to the limit.”

We learned this morning that center Jason Kelce was calling it career. As Berman notes, it’s uncertain whether long-time Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox will be back for the 2024 campaign.

Eagles To Re-Sign DE Brandon Graham

March 10th, 2023 at 10:56am CST by Sam Robinson

One of the Eagles’ many free agents has agreed to a deal that will allow him to stay with the team. The longest-tenured Eagle, Brandon Graham is coming back on a one-year agreement, Tim McManus of ESPN.com reports.

Graham is staying in Philly on a deal that could be worth up to $6MM. This will be the veteran defensive end’s 14th season with the team, putting him in rare company. Only Chuck Bednarik has previously played that many seasons with the franchise.

If Graham plays 11 games next season, he will have suited up for more contests than anyone in Eagles history. Though, Jason Kelce coming back would ignite a race to this honor; the acclaimed center is just two games behind Graham (178-176) in Eagles annals. Both are already in the top five in games played with the franchise.

With Graham going into his age-35 season, a lucrative free agency deal was unlikely to come to pass. That said, the former first-round pick was generating interest ahead of a potential trip to the market. Graham is coming off a career-best 11 sacks, helping the Eagles threaten the 1984 Bears’ single-season sack record. That was Graham’s first double-digit sack season; the rotational rusher will aim to tack on a second such campaign in 2023.

“I definitely don’t want to miss out on this championship that we’re about to make a run for,” Graham said, via McManus. “I pretty much directed [my agent] Joel [Segal] just to get a deal done before free agency so I wouldn’t have to go through that part. I’m just so happy everything came to fruition.

“It wasn’t even about no money. It was more about wanting to be an Eagle as long as I could still play at a high level, and of course I still have a sour taste in my mouth on how things ended this last year.”

The Eagles entered the offseason with three of their trench stalwarts — Graham, Kelce and Fletcher Cox — uncertain to be back. Kelce has not committed to playing a 13th season, and Cox is days away from free agency. Javon Hargrave is also on track to score a big payday next week. Graham will, however, rejoin a pass rush that still houses Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat. Derek Barnett is also under contract for 2023.

Graham said last year his goal was to reach the 15-season plateau, which would surpass Bednarik’s franchise mark. (David Akers holds the team’s games-played mark, at 188.) While the legendary two-way player’s place in Eagles lore is practically unrivaled, Graham is responsible for one of the Eagles’ signature plays. His strip of Tom Brady late in Super Bowl LII led to the Eagles’ first championship since their Bednarik-led 1960 title. Graham has remained a quality rusher in the years since that momentous sequence, and this agreement will supply depth for the defending NFC champs at the very least.

Friday’s agreement does represent a notable pay reduction for Graham, who previously played out a two-year deal worth $18.5MM. It could certainly help the Eagles retain some of their free agents. T.J. Edwards wants to stay with the team, which also aims to bring back C.J. Gardner-Johnson. While some of the Eagles’ UFAs-to-be are likely leaving — most notably Hargrave and James Bradberry — others could be brought back. Graham’s agreement would also leave some money on the table for Kelce to return.

For his career, Graham has 70 sacks and 21 forced fumbles. The sack number sits fourth in Eagles history. The starter/rotational performer sits six behind Clyde Simmons for third on that list.

Brandon Graham Generating Interest

March 5th, 2023 at 9:51am CST by Rory Parks

Defensive end Brandon Graham will soon be a free agent, and though he will turn 35 next month, a number of teams are interested in his services, as Tim McManus of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). Graham, who has been a member of the Eagles since he was drafted by the club in the first round of the 2010 draft, would prefer to finish his career in Philadelphia but is willing to move on if he can land a larger contract elsewhere.

An Achilles tear limited Graham to just two games in 2021, which made his 2022 performance particularly remarkable. In his age-34 season, the Michigan product tallied a career-high 11 sacks as a key part of the Eagles’ league-best pass rush, and Pro Football Focus also assigned him a solid 69.7 overall grade for his efforts against the run. In all, PFF considered him the fifth-best edge defender among players with enough snaps to qualify.

Snap count, however, could be a factor in Graham’s negotiations with interested clubs. His performance in 2022 was doubtlessly aided by the fact that the Eagles could keep him fresh, having deployed him in only 43% of their defensive plays (as opposed to snap rates between 69% and 76% in each of his prior six healthy campaigns). It stands to reason that, at this stage of his career, Graham would be utilized as more of a rotational player, which is perhaps why Spotrac projects him to land a one-year deal worth a fairly modest $5.7MM.

Still, there is plenty of need for rotational defenders with the ability to get after opposing quarterbacks, and just about every team could use such a player if the price is right. Per McManus, the Browns are among the clubs with interest in Graham, which makes sense given the recent tension between Cleveland and Jadeveon Clowney, who is also set to hit the open market. The Browns may also be an attractive landing spot for Graham, who would have the opportunity to line up opposite two-time First Team All-Pro Myles Garrett.

Philadelphia came up just short in its quest for a second Lombardi Trophy, and the team has plenty of high-profile contributors eligible for free agency, including Javon Hargrave, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, James Bradberry, and Miles Sanders. GM Howie Roseman, who will also be navigating extension talks with QB Jalen Hurts, has acknowledged that he will simply be unable to retain all of his pending FAs (Twitter link via Zach Berman of The Athletic). One wonders if Roseman will prioritize another contract for an aging, albeit productive, player like Graham.

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