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The Philadelphia Eagles’ defense took a hit over the last week as Za’Darius Smith abruptly decided to retire from the NFL following the team’s loss to the New York Giants.
Ahead of the Eagles’ Week 7 game against the Minnesota Vikings, multiple reports indicated that the team could get back some support on defense with the possible return of Brandon Graham.
Graham, 37, retired after the Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. He was the longest-tenured Eagles player in franchise history, spending 15 seasons with Philadelphia. He could be in line for a 16th season if the two sides finalize a contract.
ESPN reported that he’s “strongly considering” coming out of retirement to re-join the Eagles.
Philadelphia selected Graham in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft out of Michigan. He didn’t begin as a starter. It took him a few seasons for him to earn the role as a full-time pass-rusher and someone the Eagles could rely on consistently.
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Graham earned the only Pro Bowl nod of his career in 2020. He had eight sacks that season. He suffered a torn Achilles in Week 2 of the 2021 season, costing him the rest of the year. He returned to the field in 2022, playing in all 17 games and recording a career-high 11 sacks.
He retired with 76.5 career sacks and 487 total tackles. He was on two of the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning teams.
Smith retiring depleted the franchise’s depth in the Eagles’ front seven. Graham, 37, would be relied on to bring some sort of a jolt to the defense.
The team’s starting linebackers include Azeez Ojulari, Zack Baun, Nakobe Dean and Jalyx Hunt. The second-string linebackers include Josh Uche, Jihaad Campbell, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., and Patrick Johnson.
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