Eagles’ Brandon Graham gets his ‘farewell tour’ on 1-year deal with Philadelphia

Brandon Graham said in January that he hoped he’d return with the Philadelphia Eagles for one more season, a “farewell tour” for what would be a 15-year career played exclusively in the same city.

Graham got his wish. The Eagles agreed to terms for a one-year contract with their longest-tenured player. Graham, who ranked No. 114 on The Athletic’s list of the top free agents, was the No. 13 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.

The first major signee of the offseason, Graham is now on his sixth contract with the organization.

BG IS BACK ‼️ We've agreed to terms with DE Brandon Graham on a one-year contract extension.@Toyota | pic.twitter.com/K4aUUvJuIG

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) March 9, 2024

Graham recorded 11 sacks in 2022, an admirable return from a season-ending torn Achilles tendon in 2021. His sack total dipped to three, along with his reduced role in 2023. The ageless wonder should produce moderate numbers in one final season. But Philadelphia is also factoring leadership into his retention.

“We’ve all got something special about us,” Graham told The Athletic in January. “It’s on you to tap into that, and it’s on you to bring somebody else and help somebody else along the way. You aren’t the only one going through some stuff. You’re there for a reason. If you believe it or not, a lot of people look up to you. So, make sure that you’ve got something good for them to look up to.”

Graham cemented himself in Eagles lore with his pivotal strip-sack of Tom Brady in Philadelphia’s only Super Bowl victory. The 6-foot-2, 265-pound edge rusher’s 73 sacks rank fourth all-time in franchise history. It’s possible Graham passes Clyde Simmons (76) in 2024. Graham will now close his career as the team attempts to return to championship contention.

A veteran presence

The Eagles are experiencing a youth movement along the defensive line. First-round picks Jalen Carter (2023), Nolan Smith (2023) and Jordan Davis (2022) are all expected to step into larger roles in 2024. But Graham, who turns 36 in April, has proven he can still be productive enough in reduced snaps to fulfill an important leadership role in the locker room.

Graham logged three sacks, four tackles for loss and six quarterback hits while playing just 34 percent of the defense’s snaps last season, his lowest share since 2013. Smith, who played 16 percent of snaps in 2023, will still need to mature as a projected starter. Keeping Graham in Philly fulfills several needs on what should be a reasonable cost.

How he’ll fit into Vic Fangio’s defense

Graham has played for four full-time head coaches. Vic Fangio will be Graham’s seventh full-time defensive coordinator. Fangio’s base 3-4 will likely deploy Graham in the similar edge slots he played under Sean Desai, a Fangio disciple, last season.

Graham played 79.7 percent of his total snaps on first and second down last season, according to TruMedia. As Smith’s role burgeons, it’s possible Graham is deployed more frequently in third-down pass rush packages.

Required reading

(Photo: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)