Brandon Graham’s Late-Career Reinvention: From Edge Rusher to Interior Disruptor
PHILADELPHIA - For 15 seasons, Brandon Graham made his name coming off the edge, terrorizing quarterbacks and etching his legacy as one of the greatest defensive players in Eagles history. But now, at 37 years old and fresh off a brief retirement, he’s doing something no one saw coming - and doing it well.
With Jalen Carter sidelined due to a shoulder injury over the past three games, the Eagles turned to a familiar face in an unfamiliar spot. Graham, who’s built his career on speed and power off the edge, has shifted inside to defensive tackle - and the results have been nothing short of impressive.
In just 46 snaps at defensive tackle during Carter’s absence, Graham has racked up six pressures and three sacks. That’s more interior line work than he’s done in any season of his career, and yet, he’s playing like a natural.
The last time he lined up inside this effectively? You’d have to go back to Super Bowl LII, when he famously strip-sacked Tom Brady - arguably the most iconic defensive play in Eagles history.
“I wanted to be wherever I can be most used, and I enjoy it,” Graham said after Saturday night’s 29-18 win over Washington, where he notched a first-quarter sack of Marcus Mariota. “With J.C. being out, they wanted me to move inside, and they knew I liked playing in there.”
That sack wasn’t just a stat-padding play - it was vintage B.G. Quick off the snap, he bulldozed Washington center Tyler Biadasz six yards into the backfield, then shed the block and brought down Mariota as he stepped up in the pocket. It was a textbook blend of power, leverage, and savvy - the kind of play that shows why Graham is still making an impact nearly a decade and a half into his career.
“I’m quicker than most of the guards and centers,” Graham said. “I have to make sure I’m physical in there because it ain’t easy.
But you have to be smart, and I’m getting a lot of help from the guys inside. Those boys have been helping me with my technique.”
And those “boys” have been holding it down in Carter’s absence. The interior rotation of Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, Byron Young, and Graham has combined for 39 tackles, eight sacks, nine tackles for loss, and 10 quarterback hits over the last three games. Davis, in particular, has emerged as the team’s most consistent force in the trenches this season, even with Carter earning a Pro Bowl nod earlier this week.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has been impressed with Graham’s transition and didn’t hide his admiration for the veteran’s continued drive.
“Once he came back, you never know what he’s going to look like even though it’s less than a year later,” Fangio said. “But quickly, he looked very similar to what he was last year.”
Fangio broke down the keys to Graham’s success inside: “He’s strong, number one. He’s got a leverage advantage and a good feel for getting off blocks.
And he also 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 and love for contact - but he still has it.”
That love for the game is what’s keeping Graham going. His sack on Saturday bumped his career total to 79.5, just six behind Trent Cole for second on the Eagles’ all-time list.
Reggie White’s franchise record of 124 is out of reach, but catching Cole? That’s within striking distance - if Graham returns next season.
When asked about the possibility of coming back in 2026, Graham just smiled and said, “You almost got me to say it.” It’s clear the fire’s still there, even if he’s not ready to make any declarations just yet.
Fangio, for one, is hoping this isn’t the final chapter.
“Yeah, I might have to talk him into staying,” the coordinator said with a grin. “Maybe I’ll be his agent.”
After 15 seasons, a Super Bowl ring, and a legacy already secure, Brandon Graham could’ve easily stayed retired. Instead, he’s found a new way to contribute - not as a nostalgia act, but as a legitimate force in the trenches. And with the playoffs looming, the Eagles may need every ounce of that experience and versatility.
Because whether he’s coming off the edge or pushing the pocket from the inside, Brandon Graham is still making quarterbacks uncomfortable - and that’s exactly what Philly needs.