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NFL Insiders Say Brandon Graham’s Unretirement Is a Done Deal

The longtime Eagles pass rusher is returning to Philadelphia.
Michael Kadlick|
Brandon Graham is coming back.
Brandon Graham is coming back. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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Philadelphia Eagles

Brandon Graham is coming back.

According to multiple reports, the longtime Eagles defensive is finalizing a deal to return to the team as early as this week. Graham had originally retired from football after 15 seasons this past March, following Philadelphia's victory in Super Bowl LIX.

CBS Sports' Jeff Kerr was the first to report the news.

Graham himself took to social media following the reports of his return, teasing an announcement on his Unblocked podcast coming on Tuesday:

"Hey what's up Eagles fans! Tune in tomorrow to Unblocked," he said in a selfie video. "I got some special news for y'all, and we've got a lot to talk about. Go Birds!"

News of Graham's return to Philadelphia comes just one day after a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter indicating that the 37-year-old was "strongly considering" coming out of retirement.

Brandon Graham will bring some much-needed help to the Eagles' defensive front

Brandon Graham
Brandon Graham has the third most sacks in Eagles history. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Amid an up-and-down start to the season that's seen them deal with injuries to both Nolan Smith and Azeez Ojulari, the Eagles are struggling to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Through seven games Philly's pass rush has just 11 sacks—tied for fifth-fewest in the NFL—and a 32.5% pressure rate, tied with the 0-7 Jets as the 11th lowest in the league.

That's where Graham comes in.

Over his 15 seasons in Philadelphia, Graham tallied 76.5 sacks—the third most in franchise history—153 quarterback hits, and 126 tackles for loss. He was also credited with 131 pressures since 2018, when Pro Football Reference began logging the stat.

Whether he's simply a stopgap until they get healthy, or a longer-term solution as the Eagles look to win their third Super Bowl since 2017, Graham is likely to give his team a spark as they welcome the Giants to Lincoln Financial Field in Week 8.

Either way, The Linc is sure to be rocking this coming Sunday for BG's return.

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Mike Kadlick
MICHAEL KADLICK

Mike Kadlick is a senior NFL news writer for Sports Illustrated. He’s also a New England Patriots reporter for CLNS Media, where he hosts the Patriots Daily podcast and covers the beat from Gillette Stadium. Before joining SI, Kadlick worked at WEEI sports radio in Boston. He holds a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University. When Kadlick’s not covering football, he can be found running, spending time with his wife and dog, and enjoying all things pizza.

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