INDIANAPOLIS - Super Bowl hero Brandon Graham is staying put.
The Eagles and Graham have reached a three-year contract extension that will keep him in Philadelphia through the 2021 season. This deal comes before Graham would have reached free agency on March 13.
Graham, 30, is the second-longest tenured player on the team, having been drafted in the first round in 2010. Graham's career has been one of great highs and great lows. The great lows came early when he was labeled as a draft bust too early. The highest of highs came when he got a strip sack of Tom Brady in Super Bowl LII. He'll be 33 when this deal runs out.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the deal will pay Graham between $12 and $14 million per season.
With 42 1/2 sacks, Graham is seventh in franchise history. He leads the team in tackles for loss (61) and forced fumbles (12) since 2014. In recent years, he has been their most consistent edge rusher.
As the 2018 season started to wind down, Graham was definitely aware that his team with the Eagles could be winding down too. He remained hopeful that he would be back.
"I think about, it has been a long road, it has been nine years," Graham said just after the season ended. "I do not have any regrets, I have enjoyed this time if it is the end. At the end of the day, I am hoping I passed down some good stuff for them to keep in this organization, like a young DB, the next man up who now has to be the leader, to keep it going, keep it positive in here and keep everybody believing even when things get bad. Hopefully, that rubbed off on these boys and let the young guys see how we get through it, especially through adversity. You have to look at the positives. We have a bunch of good guys here that are going to feel this and be ready for next year."
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With many top edge rushers expected to get franchise-tagged, Graham might have been one of the top pass-rushers available on the open market, but he won't even test it. Graham said he wanted to return and now he will without even trying free agency.
(More coming…)
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