The Philadelphia Eagles defense has not looked like the unit that stifled offenses all the way up to, and including, the Super Bowl last season, but help is on the way.

With just 11 sacks through seven games, Vic Fangio’s group resembles a pass rusher sorely missing some teeth, but reinforcement is arriving from an unexpected source with the news that Brandon Graham is coming out of retirement to play a 16th NFL season for team that drafted him in 2010.

Graham had 3.5 sacks and six tackles for loss in 11 regular season games in 2024, before a torn triceps looked set to bring his career to a premature halt. He shocked allcomers by returning to play in the Super Bowl, helping the Birds to their (and his) second Vince Lombardi Trophy. Graham played a massive role in capturing their first title, with a crucial forced fumble on Tom Brady that finally neutralised the dynastic New England Patriots and led to mayhem on Broad Street.

Graham rejoins a defensive unit that has produced a mere 3.5 sacks from their outside pass rushers, with 1.5 of them belonging to Za’Darius Smith — who announced his retirement last week. Graham will now be looking to boost this total and add to the 76.5 regular season sacks he already has in his locker, the third most in franchise history, not to mention the 126 tackles for loss he racked up between 2010-24. His first assignment will be in the Eagles’ revenge game against the New York Giants this week, against whom he has 8.0 sacks and 17 tackles for loss in his career.

When he plays his first snap of the 2025 season, Graham will join San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams as the only remaining active players taken in the 2010 NFL Draft. Williams is still playing a high level, and Eagles fans will hope — and opposition quarterbacks fear — that Graham can do the same.

(Image credit: Philadelphia Eagles)