The Philadelphia Eagles unexpectedly lost a key member of their defensive front when Za’Darius Smith announced his retirement this week, but they could be getting one of their former Pro Bowl players back.
Former Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham is contemplating coming out of retirement, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Sunday. The 37-year-old retired last offseason after becoming the longest-tenured player in Eagles franchise history.
Graham suffered a triceps tear in Week 12 last season but returned to play in Philadelphia’s 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
Graham has missed playing and been contemplating coming out of retirement all season, according to Schefter. With Smith calling it a career on Monday, Graham and the Eagles are now negotiating a contract for Graham to rejoin the team.
Graham’s 206 regular-season games with the Eagles are more than any other player in franchise history. He ranks third on the team’s all-time sack list with 76.5. Graham made the Pro Bowl in 2020 and has won two Super Bowls with Philadelphia.
Though Graham is unlikely to resemble anything close to the player who recorded a career-high 11 sacks in 2022, he could potentially help an Eagles defense that is in need of defensive line depth.
