Brandon Graham’s Return Has Eagles Playing Championship Defense

For weeks, the Philadelphia Eagles searched for answers on defense. The talent was there, the expectations were sky-high, but the results lagged. Then, in a move that felt improbable at the time and prophetic in hindsight, franchise legend Brandon Graham unretired midseason — and everything changed.

As Up & Adams host Kay Adams put it, “We have not talked enough as a society, as a sports society who loves the NFL, about Brandon Graham.” Because Graham’s return didn’t just add depth — it reshaped the Eagles’ defense on the fly.

A Bold Return and an Immediate Impact Up Front

Graham, a longtime franchise cornerstone, had officially retired before quietly keeping himself in game shape. According to Adams, “He retired, but he didn’t… he wasn’t going to close the door, kept himself in shape, and voilà, he lands back on the Eagles.”

What has made Graham’s return even more remarkable is how Philadelphia has deployed him. Rather than easing him back into a familiar role, the Eagles asked him to adapt. “For him to do that, to start repping in at a new position, is insane,” Adams said, pointing to Graham’s shift toward defensive tackle in situational packages.

Despite playing fewer edge snaps, Graham has been devastatingly effective. “You have three sacks over the last three weeks… playing less on the edge and more at defensive tackle,” Adams noted. “He’s blowing past guards. He’s getting to the quarterback.”

That interior pressure has transformed the Eagles’ pass rush, allowing the defense to disrupt quarterbacks without excessive blitzing and keeping the secondary protected.

Eagles’ Defensive Turnaround Puts Them in SB Contention

The statistical turnaround since Graham’s unretirement has been dramatic. “Since BG unretired, the Eagles have had the NFL’s number one scoring defense, allowing nine fewer points a game than they were over the first nine weeks,” Adams emphasized.

Philadelphia vaulted from near the bottom of the league in scoring defense to the top tier, while also climbing among the NFL’s leaders in sacks. While Adams acknowledged the contributions of others, including the addition of Jaelan Phillips, she made Graham’s impact clear. “BG’s been such a big part of this Eagles defensive turnaround.”

A significant portion of the Eagles’ struggles occurred on the offensive side of the ball since midseason, with Philadelphia suffering a three-game losing streak after escaping the Packers and Lions despite posting a minimal point total in each.

But after getting torched through the air against the Cowboys and on the ground against the Bears, the Eagles’ defense has gotten its act together. Philadelphia pitched a shutout against the lowly Raiders, but followed it up with a division-clinching win over the Commanders.

Three weeks after a turnover-heavy performance by Jalen Hurts cost the Eagles against the Chargers, Philadelphia took down the Bills in Buffalo on the back of its defense, even with the offense coming up with just 190 total yards.

Josh Allen and his offense did not find the end zone until late into the fourth quarter, and although Buffalo scored a touchdown in the final seconds, a failed two-point conversion was the difference between a win and a loss.

Graham’s presence has given the Eagles confidence and clarity. As Adams explained, the team has “completely retooled on the fly up front,” reshaping its identity at the most important point of the season.

That resurgence has altered Philadelphia’s ceiling entirely. Adams didn’t hedge when projecting what comes next. “I can’t really picture the Eagles not being in the title game… They could easily win the Super Bowl.”

If the Eagles end up repeating as Super Bowl champions, Graham’s return and willingness to take up snaps at defensive tackle may be a huge reason why. Even after retiring following last year’s Super Bowl victory over the Chiefs, Graham is not finished writing his legacy with the Eagles.