It's just like old times for Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham as he made his much-anticipated return to the practice field for the first time.
Earlier in the week, Graham re-signed with the Eagles after officially coming out of retirement to help the team out. They have faced numerous issues at EDGE with Nolan Smith Jr. and Ogbo Okoronkwo on IR, Za'Darius Smith retiring, and Azeez Ojulari now looking like he will miss time with a hamstring injury he suffered in the Eagles' 28-22 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 7 action.
Graham came in like the cool kid in school who had been out sick for a few days and fit right in with the team. He got his old "55" number back and was listed on the injury report as a full participant in practice.
It didn't take long for Graham's teammates to realize that he hadn't missed a beat since his short retirement.
Graham was back at it after one practice for Eagles
Eagles starting left tackle Jordan Mailata shared with the media after practice how Graham was back to his old ways. Mailata shared the signature BG trash talk that had been missing on the team.
"In the stretch he was already talking smack. And he was the only one talking. It was like quiet, all you heard was music and you just hear BG: ‘Yeah, I can hear you breathing heavy already! Yeah, fat boy! HAHAH.’"
It's clear Graham is comfortable being back home after playing 15 years for the Eagles. He's racked up 76.5 sacks in his career, having eclipsed 10 sacks in a season once.
What's the more critical aspect of Graham's game that everyone has missed within the Eagles organization? It's his leadership. Sure, he likes to chirp at players on the field, but his two Super Bowl titles with the franchise give him credibility with the younger players in the locker room, as he knows what a winning culture looks like.
At the start of the season, young players like Jalen Carter were making mental mistakes on the field, and with few veteran leaders over the age of 30, it was hard to find accountability. Graham provides that and more for the Eagles and brings that extra spark at EDGE, a position that has been desperately needed after just 3.5 sacks this season as a unit.
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It's good to have Graham back and disrupting things within the Eagles organization.