Eagles DE Graham Says This is Final Season – It is the last dance for Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham. He intends for the 2024 season to be his swan song in the NFL.
Graham, 36 years old, spoke to the media on Wednesday, the opening day of training camp, as he revved up for his 15th season with the organization.
“Last first day as a player,” he said. “I don’t know what the future holds next year in the organization, at the next level, but I know it will be something.”
“… This is my last year, man, so I’m just trying to soak it all in, trying to enjoy every day, trying to give it everything. No stone unturned.”
A first-round draft pick, 13th overall, in 2010 out of the University of Michigan, Graham comes into 2024 ranked fourth in Eagles history in sacks with 73.
No Philadelphia player has been more durable or appeared in more regular-season games than Graham (195), which speaks to his intense workout regimen and taking care of his body. His 11 postseason games include a Super Bowl LII victory over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Graham helped the Eagles secure a 41-33 win over the Patriots for their first championship, with a strip-sack of Brady when it mattered most, late in the fourth quarter.
A Pro Bowl selection in 2020, Graham has been an absolute beast, registering 467 tackles, 146 quarterback hits, 21 forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries, one all the way to the house for a touchdown.
Some speculated that it all might be over in 2021 when Graham suffered a devasting torn Achilles in Week 2 and was placed on season-ending IR. Then, he fought his way back like a man on a mission in 2022, getting home to the quarterback 11 times in route to an AP All-Pro 1st Team honor. He also finished in fourth place for the Comeback Player of the Year award.
Graham has appeared in all 17 games for the Eagles in each of the last two seasons. This past season, he had three sacks and four tackles for loss. Graham has found a way to adapt his game to a lesser rotational role over the past couple of years. He is expected to complement a group this year that also includes Bryce Huff, Josh Sweat and Nolan Smith Jr.
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49ers OT Williams Holding Out Over Deal – Two critical member of the San Francisco 49ers were not on the gridiron for Wednesday’s practice, with both Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams sitting out due to contract disputes.
For Aiyuk, he was actually in attendance in Santa Clara, but watched from the sidelines with head coach Kyle Shanahan describing the wide receiver as “holding in.”
Williams was a different story all together. He was not seen Wednesday and Shanahan confirmed after practice that the three-time First-team All-Pro offensive tackle’s absence was contract related.
“I knew it could be a possibility,” said Shanahan, who added that 49ers general manager John Lynch has been in discussions with representatives for Williams. “I feel pretty confident it will all work out in the long run and he’ll be here and we’ll get on the same page with everything.”
Williams signed a blockbuster six-year, $138.06 million extension following a 2020 trade to the 49ers from the Washington Commanders. That deal was restructured last year with $18.23 million of his 2023 base salary converted into a signing bonus, freeing up nearly $15 million in salary cap space.
According to Over The Cap, the 36-year-old Williams, an 11-time Pro Bowler, is set to earn $20.8 million in 2024 and $23.35 million in 2025. Not so fast, everything is not what it seems. All of the guaranteed money has already been paid out.
What Williams is likely looking at is the four-year, $112 million extension that the Detroit Lions gave offensive tackle Penei Sewell in April, which includes $85 million in guaranteed money.
For each day of training camp he misses, Williams will have to surrender a mandatory $50,000 fine. The fines cannot be waived, as per the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
