Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham is not quite ready yet

Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham will get some extra time off as training camp begins.

It is finally the eve of training camp for the Philadelphia Eagles! Soon, the Super Bowl champions will return to work after a short break from mandatory mini-camp. The only difference is this time the Eagles will be suited up in full pads, rather than helmets and ball shorts. Although most rookies and veterans will be in attendance, there are still a few guys who are recovering from injuries that stemmed from last year’s long season.

Nine-year veteran Brandon Graham will begin 2018 training camp by continuing to hold out. No, not because he is in search of a new contract. But because Graham is still unable to play due to his offseason surgery on his ankle. Graham’s medical procedure occurred a few months after the season, even though he was nagged by the injury weeks before the Eagles concluded their season.

Due to the timing of the surgery, Graham will be placed on the NFL’s PUP list. Unlike Carson Wentz, the Eagles are going to assume that their 30-year-old veteran doesn’t need to be active during training camp to be able to make a comeback. After all, he hasn’t missed too many games over the course of his nine-year career in the NFL.

A big season brewing?

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Graham should be back sooner than later, but there’s no need for the Super Bowl hero to rush back. It’s unfortunate that his injury came after a season with career-high numbers, but it looks like Graham is going to be just fine. At least, that’s what he said.

During the Eagles OTAs portion of the offseason, Graham showed up on crutches to reunite with his team. During that time, he spoke with the media and stated that he was ahead of schedule. And just like a lot of his currently injured teammates, Graham made it clear that he plans on being ready by week one.

This upcoming season could dictate Graham’s future with the Eagles. As he is heading into the final year of his contract, he has made it clear that he would like to finish his career in midnight green.

Clearly, the Eagles do not have much wiggle room in their salary cap to make a generous offer. But if Graham can replicate his numbers from last season, the Eagles would have no choice but to pay the man. So, we shouldn’t expect to see Graham sit back for long. This season is a lot more critical to Graham than previous ones.