When Brandon Graham first came out of retirement to play for the Philadelphia Eagles again, no fan could have imagined the kind of role he would end up playing on the team.
It took a little bit for Graham to get into a rhythm and in shape, but he got there faster than expected and is now dominating the field. He has racked up three sacks and three quarterback hits in the last two games against the Las Vegas Raiders and the Washington Commanders.
The media asked Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio about Graham and his play of late. Fangio shared what he has noticed with Graham that has helped him get to the point of dominating right away.
“He's strong number one," Fangio said via NBC's John Clark. "He's got a leverage advantage. He's got a good feel for blocks, and he still loves the game. That may sound corny and not relevant, but as guys get older in their career, they lose their stinger a little bit for the real nut-cutting and contact of the game. He hasn't.”
Graham is becoming a major contributing factor to Eagles' success in 2025
In Graham's first five games back, he had only made one tackle as he was more of a backup edge rusher coming in for about 10 to 20 snaps a game. He started to see more playing time against the Los Angeles Chargers, rotating in as a defensive tackle with Jalen Carter injured and out.
It wasn't until the Las Vegas Raiders game that he exploded onto the scene and started to show what he can do with two sacks. Graham followed that up with another sack in the 29-18 win over the Washington Commanders in Week 16.
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Not many fans thought that Graham would be able to make the kind of impact that he has made, but the Eagles are now looking at him as a key contributor to the team late in the season.