When the Eagles took the field Monday night against the Chargers without Jalen Carter, they didn’t just patch a hole in the defensive line-they turned to a familiar face with a new challenge. Brandon Graham, 37 years old and just a few weeks removed from retirement, stepped into the trenches and gave Philly 30 hard-fought snaps at defensive tackle-his highest workload of the season.
It’s not the typical move for a veteran edge rusher, especially one who’s made a career of terrorizing quarterbacks from the outside. But Graham’s not your typical vet. He’s been a cornerstone of this defense for over a decade, and now he’s showing he still has the power, technique, and mindset to adapt when the team needs him most.
“He’s a strong son of a gun,” said fellow defensive lineman Moro Ojomo. “I don’t know what he benched at his combine, but he can move some weight around in that weight room.”
Ojomo isn’t wrong. Back in 2010, Graham cranked out 31 reps on the bench press at the NFL Combine-good for the 96th percentile.
That was 16 years ago, but the strength clearly hasn’t faded. And while Graham may not have the prototypical size for an interior lineman-he’s listed at 6-foot-2, 265 pounds-he’s proving that strength, leverage, and experience can go a long way inside.
Graham’s not just filling a gap; he’s embracing the role. He’s been in the defensive tackle meeting room all week, sitting alongside Carter, Ojomo, Jordan Davis, Byron Young, and the rest of the interior crew.
On game day, he warmed up with the DTs, not the edge rushers. This wasn’t a one-off experiment-it was a calculated adjustment by the Eagles’ coaching staff, and Graham’s all-in.
“I feel comfortable,” Graham said. “If I’m going to be in the middle, you gotta make sure you hold your ground and have the right technique-especially when you get double-teamed.
It’s all about using your hands. My tricep, everything feels great.
You just gotta keep working the technique. It’s a daily walk with it.”
That last part-“a daily walk”-says a lot about Graham’s approach. This isn’t just a veteran coasting on reputation. He’s grinding, learning, and evolving in real time.
And he’s not alone in making that shift. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio pointed out that Jaelan Phillips also got some snaps inside Monday night, though those were mostly in pass-rush situations. What made Graham’s role unique was that he was in there on early downs too-taking on double teams, plugging gaps, and doing the dirty work that doesn’t always show up in the box score.
“Yeah, BG is the ultimate pro,” Fangio said. “He's got strength.
He knows how to play blocks. I think he'll be better this week moving forward.”
Ojomo, who’s listed at 292 pounds and still considered undersized for a traditional DT, sees a broader shift happening across the league-a kind of “renaissance” for defensive tackles who win with quickness, leverage, and power rather than sheer size.
“They’ve been able to hold their own and I think it creates different problems,” Ojomo said. “I think that’s kind of the thought process with BG as well.”
And why not? Graham’s quickness off the line, combined with his veteran savvy, makes him a unique weapon inside. He’s not just holding his own-he’s giving the Eagles options while they wait for Carter to return from a shoulder injury.
Since un-retiring during the bye week, Graham has played in five straight games. Before Monday night, he’d logged just 32 total snaps. Then came the Chargers game-30 snaps in overtime, in the middle of the line, holding it down like he’s been doing it for years.
He expected to feel it the next day. But to his surprise, his body bounced back better than expected.
“Trying to do everything I can for the team,” Graham said. “I’m excited because I know we got four games left.
Raiders is this week. Excited to keep chipping away and keep building that teamwork that we’re going to get done.”
For a player who’s already given Philly so much, Graham’s latest chapter is a reminder of why he’s one of the most respected voices in that locker room. He’s not just still here-he’s still making an impact. And as the Eagles gear up for the final stretch of the season, having a guy like BG willing to dig in-literally-is the kind of edge that can make all the difference.