Brandon Graham Open To Return?

Longtime Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham announced his retirement in March, but he recently indicated that he hasn’t fully closed the door on returning to the NFL.

“I’m 90 percent retired,” said Graham in an interview with NFL Network’s Kay Adams, suggesting that he is open to resuming his playing career.

“The 10 [percent] is how much I want to continue to train the way I’m training,” he explained. “I’m training to look good, training for a game is different, but I haven’t really changed that yet.”

Graham mentioned feedback from other retired NFL players who told him to maintain his fitness regimen even after he stops playing. Tellingly, Graham said that he is focused on “making sure that when I do retire, I’m staying in the habit of that.” He also hinted at the potential for a television gig as a commentator or analyst.

However, Graham walked back his initial comments and stopped short of stating his intention to return to the NFL.

“That 10 percent is just in case, but I doubt it because I try to be a man of my word and I don’t want to have to play that back-and-forth stuff,” said Graham. “I’m just going to accept it and just move on, get ready for what’s next.”

Graham turned 37 years old on April 3 after 15 seasons in the NFL, all with the Eagles. He suffered a torn triceps in November that sidelined him until the Super Bowl, in which he re-tore his triceps. The prospect of rehabbing his arm again was one of the motivators for Graham’s retirement, along with his desire to spend more time with his family.

Adams speculated that Graham would be open to returning to the Eagles for a Super Bowl run next season. He declined to confirm or deny that possibility, only saying, “We ain’t there yet.”