Brandon Graham To Contemplate Retirement; Mekhi Becton Open To Remaining With Eagles

Brandon Graham managed to rehab in time to play in last night’s Super Bowl. The Eagles stalwart may well have played his final game in New Orleans on Sunday, but a final decision has yet to be made on the retirement front.

Graham said in July he would hang up his cleats after the 2024 campaign was over. This past season represented his 15th with the organization, something which is without precedent in Eagles history. As a result, it appeared the 36-year-old’s NFL tenure was over when he suffered a triceps tear in November. Graham did not confirm his retirement plans at that point, and that remained the case this past weekend.

The former first-rounder is expected to take roughly one week to contemplate his future, as noted by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (video link). A retirement decision would come as no surprise in the wake of his second career Super Bowl victory, but it would mark another major loss for the Eagles in terms of experience. Two of the franchise’s ‘Core Four’ players (Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox) retired last offseason, leaving Graham and Lane Johnson in the fold.

There is now a strong chance Philadelphia’s right tackle starter will be the final remaining member of the team’s decorated quartet. If Graham – who signed a two-year pact in 2021 and inked one-year deals for 2023 and ’24 – does indeed call it a career, the Eagles will have a notable void along the edge. With over $98MM in career earnings and now a pair of titles, though, he certainly has cause to turn down the chance of playing in 2025 to begin his post-playing days.

Another pending Eagles free agent is right guard Mekhi Becton. The former Jets first-rounder struggled with injuries during his New York tenure, and his first trip to the open market resulted in only a $2.75MM pact on a one-year Eagles commitment. The decision to move Becton inside to guard (after seeing time at both tackle spots) proved to be effective, as he handled starting duties all season and thrived in that role.

As a result, the 25-year-old is on track to have a much stronger free agent market this time around. Garafolo notes Becton seems to be open to a new Eagles contract, although a raise will obviously be needed for that to be feasible. As the team begins its offseason preparation in the wake of its Super Bowl LIX victory, Graham and Becton will be among the players worth monitoring over the coming days and weeks.