Brandon Graham Admits He Could Finish Career Elsewhere
Brandon Graham in another uniform?
The Eagles' Super Bowl LII hero admitted on Wednesday that's a possibility come 2023.
"I would [consider playing for another team] but it would only be for a year," Graham acknowledged on JAKIB Sports' Sports Take. "... We would have to see how it works out."
Graham. 34, is set to enter his 13th season in September and is coming off a torn Achilles suffered early in Week 2 last season. His stated goal is to play 15 years with the team that drafted him No. 13 overall out of Michigan in 2010.
Whether that goal is attainable or not remains to be seen but for whatever reason Graham seems to be drawing the line at splitting the difference at 14 years even if that means finishing up elsewhere.
"I'll probably end up playing 14 instead of 15 [years], but my goal is to try to finish off 15 if I could as an Eagle," he said.
The Eagles have imposing depth on the edge of their defensive front which is expected to feature Vic Fangio-inspired multiple looks this season with more odd-man fronts than Philadelphia is used to.
In the five-man overhang look, the top options are Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, Graham, Derek Barnett, and Tarron Jackson with perhaps even the versatile Milton Williams added to the mix.
That means playing time could be curtailed for someone like Graham, who has typically played over 70% of the defensive snaps since he established himself as one of the better two-way defensive ends in the NFL.
The veteran seems aware and prepared that he's about to enter a different stage of his career.
"I just want to see us win," said Graham. "I don't care if [I'm playing] 10 plays, it's going to be 10 hard-ass plays that you're gonna see."
Never one lacking for energy, Graham has gotten even more juiced up with the additions GM Howie Roseman gave Jonathan Gannon for the defensive coordinator's unit, particularly nose tackle Jordan Davis, the Eagles' 340-pound first-round pick.
"That boy Jordan [Davis] is as advertised," said Graham. "[Davis] don't even know how strong he really is."
Graham already knows what special looks like after capping off the 2017-18 run by strip-sacking Tom Brady to help the Eagles secure Super Bowl LII and the veteran is feeling a little deja vu as training camp approaches.
"I'm so thankful to get that one [Super Bowl]," said Graham. "I'm hoping to get this next one because this team is already looking special."
-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Sports. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talker Jody McDonald, every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube.com and JAKIBSports.com. You can reach John at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
