After the Philadelphia Eagles lost longtime defensive end Brandon Graham in the offseason after he finally called it a career and saw Josh Sweat leave in free agency, the pass rush unit went from one of the strengths of this team to perhaps the biggest issue with the 2025 squad.
With Nolan Smith injured, Za'Darius Smith announcing his retirement, and the free agent combination of Josh Uche and Azeez Ojulari combined for one sack on the year, Graham saw his old team struggling and believed that the only way to improve this team's defensive line is to pitch in and lend a hand.
Graham will reportedly confirm tomorrow that he is coming out of retirement to join the Eagles for the remainder of the 2025 season. Graham may not be what he once was, but last year proved that in the right role, he can get to the quarterback in Vic Fangio's scheme.
Brandon Graham to come out of retirement to join Eagles' pass rush
Even though Graham has never been a dominant player, he has shown to be a paragon of consistency, leadership, and two-way quality in his career. Over his 15 seasons with the Eagles, Graham tallied 76.5 sacks and played a big role on two Super Bowl-winning teams.
Graham will likely finish the year as one of Vic Fangio's backup pass rushers, especially when Smith returns from injury. The Eagles only have 11 sacks all season long, and seven of them have come from defensive tackles (Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo) and inside linebackers (Zack Baun).
More importantly, Graham brings his proven blend of veteran leadership to the table. His presence in the locker room is impossible to replicate, and it could help set the Eagles apart in what has quickly become a very deep and very competitive NFC.
Very few players can still get to the quarterback with any degree of regularity deep into their 30s, but Graham is that type of rare player. Graham won't suddenly turn this defense into the 2000 Ravems, but he could help recapture some of the pixie dust that made them almost unbeatable last year.