When Brandon Graham first came out of retirement for the Philadelphia Eagles, it seemed like there were going to be some questions about how he would look after not playing football for the first half of the season.
It certainly wasn't smooth for Graham, as he wasn't getting many snaps for the team and didn't record a tackle until his fourth game back with the Eagles, against the Dallas Cowboys, when he recorded one. Many started to think that the team overpaid for a guy who was getting barely any snaps on the field.
That all changed in the last two games when the Eagles started moving him to defensive tackle with Jalen Carter hurt and rushing off the edge, which led to an impressive two-sack performance in the 31-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15. Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is still considering keeping Graham at tackle even when Carter returns from injury.
"We'll see," Fangio said via The Athletic's Zach Berman. "I think he'll float back and forth."
Graham is found a new lease on his NFL career
Even though he did not have any stats against the Los Angeles Chargers in their Week 14 loss, Graham made an impact in the middle, getting push up front. It's actually a role that fits him well for where he is in his NFL career.
The edge rushers on the Eagles have to be able to do more than rush the passer and drop back in coverage for passes. That's something Graham has never been asked to do since starting his NFL career in 2013, and he didn't do it last year. He was limited in what he could do in Fangio's system.
Placing him at tackle just enhances the pass rush of a defensive tackle position that already has great pass rushers there. From Carter, Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, and Byron Young, what they all have in common with Graham is that they can create pressure on the quarterback just as good as any defensive end in the NFL.
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Graham's return to the NFL hasn't been perfect so far, but he has done a lot for the Eagles over the last two games by playing off the edge and in the middle. It might start to ask Philly the question as to whether they should convince him to come back for 2026 as a defensive tackle.