Brandon Graham was removed from the exempt list Monday, marking another significant step in the star pass rusherâs return to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Graham, the longest-tenured player in Eagles history, opted to come out of retirement to sign a one-year contract with the team on Oct. 23. With the Eagles coming out of the Week 9 bye, Graham, 37, is likely to make his season debut Monday against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
Graham Now Counts Against 53-Man Roster
Grahamâs two-game roster exemption ended on Monday, and he now counts against the 53-man roster. This will be his 16th season with Philadelphia.
Graham has not played since Super Bowl LIX. He initially retired in March, but with a lack of pass rush and the subsequent retirement of veteran defensive end ZaâDarius Smith, the Eagles convinced him to return in hopes of chasing another Super Bowl.
The Eagles own the NFC Eastâs best record at 6-2 but rank 23rd in total defense (336.3 yards allowed per game) and have the fifth-fewest sacks in the NFL (16).
Graham is Near Top of Eagles’ Record Books
Graham is one of the most accomplished players in Eagles history. The 13th overall pick of the 2010 draft holds the franchise record for most regular-season games played (206) and is third in team history with 76.5 sacks. He was second-team All-Pro in 2016 and made his lone Pro Bowl appearance in 2020.
His strip sack of Tom Brady in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LII helped the Eagles outlast the New England Patriots 41-33 for their first Super Bowl victory.
As the Eagles beef up their defense for the seasonâs second half, Graham will slide in alongside newly acquired outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips, who has three sacks this season and 26 over his five-year career.
Defensive tackle Moro Ojomo leads the Eagles with four sacks while Jordan Davis and Zack Baum each have three.
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