Eagles re-sign franchise cornerstone to one-year deal

Brandon Graham is sticking around Philadelphia for a 15th season. The team announced they’ve re-signed the veteran defensive end to a one-year extension.

There were rumblings earlier this week that the two sides were working towards a new deal, and Graham confirmed his plan to re-sign with the Eagles the other day.

There was speculation that the veteran could call it a career following the Eagles’ disappointing end to the 2023 campaign. However, the defensive lineman quickly dismissed that notion, stating that he still has a “little bit of juice” left in his tank. Graham also expressed interest in a farewell tour, indicating that 2024 will likely mark his final NFL season.

When he takes the field in 2024, Graham will set the record for the longest tenure with the Eagles organization. He tied Philly legend Chuck Bednarik by playing a 14th season with the team last year. Graham set another franchise mark last season, passing David Akers for the most games played in Eagles history.

Once one of the Eagles’ most dependable starters, Graham has transitioned to a backup role in recent seasons. He only started one of his 17 appearances in 2022, in 43 percent of his team’s defensive snaps. Still, the former first-round pick managed to compile 11 sacks, earning him a one-year, $5M extension last offseason.

He continued to serve as a backup for Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat in 2023, appearing in all 17 games. However, he was limited to only 395 defensive snaps, ignoring his two-game stint in 2021, which was Graham’s lowest total since 2013. Despite the drop in playing time, Pro Football Focus still ranked Graham 17th among 118 qualifying edge defenders.

The future of the Eagles’ pass-rushing corps is in doubt, as both Reddick and Sweat are reportedly on the trade block. The organization could be eyeing a new and/or inexperienced edge grouping in 2024, highlighted by 2023 first-round pick Nolan Smith. In that scenario, Graham’s veteran know-how will certainly be useful as the team transitions to new defensive leaders.