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.”
The Detroit Lions Just Got a Reason to Like Tom Brady
The Detroit Lions are NFL darlings this season, and they actually have been the past few seasons. The team is 5-2 after taking down one of the most promising teams in the NFL this season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with a 24-9 final score, and now, people are talking about the team, from NFL experts and analysts to moms and dads at the dinner table.
Running back Jahmyr Gibbs was extra special during the game, clocking 218 yards and two rushing touchdowns, according to ESPN. The Detroit Lions are now 13-4 following a loss since the start of the 2022 season, which is the second-best record in NFL over that timespan after the Kansas City Chiefs (11-2), according to ESPN Research.
“Gibbs broke free up the middle for the longest run of his NFL career with a 78-yard touchdown with 5:51 left in the first half,” Eric Woodyard of ESPN adds. “Gibbs’ top speed was 22.2 mph, the fastest rushing TD by an offensive ball carrier this season, per Next Gen Stats. He is the only player over the past three seasons to reach 22 mph on a rushing touchdown, and he has done it twice now, including on a 70-yard touchdown versus the Titans in 2024.”
Even Tom Brady is Noticing the Detroit Lions
So, the Lions are on fire, and even legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady is taking notice. Brady released his Fox Sports power rankings on Wednesday, October 22, and he has the Lions at No. 1.
“Make it three straight weeks that the No. 1 team in Tom Brady’s power rankings has gone down,” the article notes, since Brady has the Bucs at No. 1 last week. “After getting anointed as the No. 1 team last week, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost decisively to the Detroit Lions in Week 7. The result was just one of many that’s brought some chaos to the top as we continue to figure out who the contenders in the league are nearly halfway through the season.”
The article adds, “Even the GOAT needed some help to round out his latest top 10, so much so that he called upon a coin to help him pick his 10th team.”
The Detroit Lions Are No. 1
He didn’t need a coin to pick his first favorite team, though. That team is the Lions. Brady also talks up the Detroit Lions’ stars, from Gibbs to quarterback Jared Goff.
“The Lions are No. 1 after dominating last week’s leader [the Buccaneers],” he states in the piece. “The stars were out with the contributions from Amon-Ra St. Brown, [Jahmyr] Gibbs and [Jared] Goff. I can’t wait to hear that crowd on Thanksgiving.”
The NFL’s official website agrees, too. They have the Lions at No. 1, with lead draft writer Eric Edholm stating, “Detroit’s undermanned secondary stepped up in a massive way in Monday’s statement victory over Tampa Bay. The home team entered the night alarmingly shorthanded in the defensive backfield, and then Rock Ya-Sin had to miss some snaps with cramps.”
The Detroit Lions may have fallen to the Chiefs this season, but that was a rarity. They’re obviously ready to stake their claim as the kings of the NFC North.
