Vic Fangio Sends Honest Message on Brandon Graham’s Eagles Return
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio doesn’t know what to expect from the recently unretired Brandon Graham.
What kind of shape is he in? How will he be used? Those questions and more are still to be answered as Graham ramps back up after a brief time away from football.
“We’ll see,” Fangio said Tuesday. “We’ll see what kind of shape he’s in, what kind of retention he has from last year. Shape comes in two forms: one, just your conditioning, but in football shape to contact shape. So hopefully, the sooner the better.”
The Eagles announced earlier in the day that Graham, the longest-tenured player in franchise history, had agreed to a one-year deal to come out of retirement and play a 16th season with Philadelphia.
Why is Brandon Graham Coming Out of Retirement?
Graham returned from torn triceps muscle to play in Super Bowl LIX and helped the Eagles beat the Chiefs 40-22. It was supposed to be the final game of Graham’s career, but the 37-year-old recently had a change of heart and will return in hopes of providing a spark for Philadelphia’s struggling pass rush.
The defending champs came into the season with questions about edge rusher following the departures of Graham and Josh Sweat. Those were amplified when Nolan Smith Jr. landed on injured reserve last month with a triceps strain.
Hoping to address their need, the defending champs signed veteran defensive end Za’Darius Smith. But he played only five games with the team before retiring from the NFL earlier this month.
The Eagles lead the NFC East at 5-2 but rank 23rd in total defense (349.1 yards allowed per game) and are tied for the fourth-fewest sacks in the NFL (11).
Why is Brandon Graham’s Return Significant?
Graham is one of the most accomplished players in Eagles history. The 13th overall pick of the 2010 draft holds the franchise record for most regular-season games played (206) and is third in team history with 76.5 sacks. He was second-team All-Pro in 2016 and made his lone Pro Bowl in 2020.
His strip sack of Tom Brady in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LII helped the Eagles outlast the Patriots 41-33 for their first Super Bowl victory.
Graham initially retired in March, choosing to “go out on top” with the Lombardi Trophy in hand. But ever since, Fangio has been joking with him about coming back to play.
“All the way from the start I was teasing him not to retire. All the way back from last February to March,” Fangio said. “I’ve run into him; we’ve talked when he’s come by. I always tease him about it, try and light the fire.”
Lions Cut Former Chiefs Super Bowl Champion
The Detroit Lions closed their 2025 NFL preseason on Saturday night with a 26-7 loss to the Houston Texans. Despite the 1-3 preseason record, Dan Campbell’s team expects to be among the top Super Bowl contenders this year, joining the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs.
With the preseason coming to an end this weekend, many NFL teams have started to solidify their 55-man rosters. And the Lions have made their first cut as well.
Lions Release Dicaprio Bootle
On Sunday, the Lions announced that they have waived cornerback Dicaprio Bootle from the injured reserve list, agreeing to an injury settlement as well.
"Lions have released CB Dicaprio Bootle from Reserve/Injured with an Injury Settlement," the Lions wrote on X.
Bootle signed with Detroit on July 18, but suffered a lower leg injury on August 13 that put him on the injured reserve list. But with his injury settlement, Bootle will be compensated.
Looking at Bootle's NFL Career
After spending his entire college career with the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Bootle went undrafted in 2021. He later signed with the Chiefs as a free agent, making their practice squad during his rookie year.
Bootle spent most of his two seasons in Kansas City on the practice squad but was elevated for seven games, recording 11 total tackles. While he never appeared in a playoff game with the Chiefs, he did earn a Super Bowl ring with them in the 2022 season.
Bootle went on to spend the 2023 season with the Carolina Panthers and 2024 with the Los Angeles Chargers, earning significantly more playing time than he did in Kansas City. Through 15 games over the last two years, Bootle tallied 17 total tackles and two passes defended.
