Graham, who had mentioned earlier than this season he would retire after it wrapped, will apply Thursday. The Eagles designated the Fifteenth-year defensive finish and tight finish C.J. Uzomah for return. Moreover, the Eagles signed working again Lew Nichols to their apply squad and launched tight finish Nick Muse.
A Graham comeback can be vital for the Eagles, who’ve handled accidents to each him and Bryce Huff this season. Huff has since returned, although he’s enjoying behind starters Josh Sweat and Nolan Smith in Vic Fangio‘s protection. Graham, 36, had already topped his 2023 full-season totals for sacks and QB hits in 11 video games this season. The longest-tenured participant in Eagles historical past was sitting on 3.5 and 7, respectively, in these classes when he went down towards the Rams.
As PFR’s teaching trackers have turn into extra outstanding, revisiting our IR Return Tracker shows the Eagles with 4 IR activations left. Groups obtained two extra within the playoffs this yr, marking a change from the NFL’s 2022 and 2023 setups underneath its present format. Graham and Uzomah be part of return man Britain Covey within the apply window. The group won’t activate defensive lineman Byron Young, whose apply window expired this week.
Philly has not produced the prolific sack numbers it carried into Tremendous Bowl LVII, however Fangio’s protection has improved considerably from the place it was underneath Sean Desai and Matt Patricia final season. The Eagles led the league in yards allowed and completed second in scoring.
Whereas the Chiefs haven’t carefully resembled their 2022 offense this season, solely eclipsing 30 factors one time, the Patrick Mahomes-led unit proved it nonetheless had firepower final week by hanging 32 on the Payments. The Eagles having yet another pass-rushing choice may very well be vital, because the Chiefs have proved traditionally dependable in shut video games.
The Eagles re-signed Graham on a one-year, $4M deal last March. Having damaged Chuck Bednarik‘s document for service time as an Eagle, Graham mentioned to start out coaching camp he would make this season his last. After the harm, Graham was much less definitive. However returning in time for the Tremendous Bowl might present a becoming conclusion — nicely, ought to it go the Eagles’ means.
Graham, after all, delivered his signature play in a Tremendous Bowl by forcing a Tom Brady fumble to arrange Philly’s game-winning landing in Tremendous Bowl LII. The Patriots entered that sport having certified for seven straight convention championships; the Chiefs are actually driving the identical streak, and the Eagles are all that stand in the way in which of Kansas Metropolis turning into the primary group to win three straight Tremendous Bowls. That stands to make a possible Graham return a carefully monitored scenario.
Uzomah suffered an belly harm in Week 17. The previous Bengals Tremendous Bowl starter has not performed a daily position with the Eagles. A Jets cap casualty in 2024, Uzomah has performed in seven Eagles video games however has not caught a move. He would function depth behind Dallas Goedert and Grant Calcaterra.
