The Philadelphia Eagles are in desperate need of aid to their pass rush.
This is a rather surprising statement, considering just how dominant the unit was in the 2024 season. However, fast forward to Week 7 of this campaign, and Philadelphia has recorded just nine sacks, which is good for No. 25 in the NFL.
It’s more apparent than ever the Eagles need help in this regard after the retirement of EDGE Za’Darius Smith, and a former player is taking notice.
Is Brandon Graham Considering Coming out of Retirement?
Brandon Graham is a beloved player in Philadelphia sports, as he spent his entire 15-year NFL career with the Eagles. He made the decision to retire after the Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl last season, but it appears that decision may be short-lived.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter shared the two-time Super Bowl champion is considering coming out of retirement to rejoin the Eagles.
“Following defensive end Za’Darius Smith‘s retirement, former Eagle Brandon Graham is now strongly considering coming out of retirement to sign with Philadelphia, league sources told ESPN,” Schefter wrote. “The defensive end retired last offseason but has missed the game and has pondered unretiring, according to sources.”
Smith was a solid pickup by the Eagles, but he decided to retire midway through the season in what was simply a personal decision. Philadelphia’s pass rushing unit is now thinner than ever with Smith retired and Nolan Smith and Ogbo Okoronkwo sidelined, so Graham coming out of retirement would be a huge boost for this struggling unit.
Although Graham certainly slowed down in the later years of his career, he remained an impactful piece and a phenomenal leader off the field. In 2024, he recorded 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble in 11 appearances. The leadership and production Graham can offer would be of great help to an Eagles defense that has a 73.3 Defense Impact score from PFSN, which ranks the unit No. 17 in the league.
“The Eagles came into the season with question marks at edge rusher following the departures of Graham and Josh Sweat,” Schefter continued. “The position took a further hit when Nolan Smith Jr. was placed on injured reserve last month with a triceps injury. Ogbo Okoronkwo was also placed on IR with a triceps injury after Philadelphia’s Week 4 game.”
Graham has played the most regular-season games for the Eagles with 206 and has the third-most sacks in franchise history with 76.5. This is certainly a situation worth monitoring.
Graham has stayed in shape, telling Kay Adams back in April that he considered himself “90% retired.”
