The Philadelphia Eagles took a big step towards righting the ship on Sunday when they escaped Minnesota with a win. It should certainly silence some of the noise surrounding the locker room in recent weeks, but the Eagles still have big problems to solve to have a chance at repeating last year's success.
One of those problems is the pass rush problem, which was only made worse last week with Za'Darius Smith's retirement and Azeez Ojulari exiting the game early with an injury. The already struggling rotation is now very short-handed, leading to speculation about fan-favorite pass rusher Brandon Graham coming out of retirement.
Graham is reportedly considering a comeback for this 16th NFL season, but nothing has materialized yet. John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported on Sunday that the Eagles legend has interest in returning.
"There is interest with the Eagles and BG in returning to help the team," Clark reported on Sunday. "There has been talks for weeks. There are family considerations."
Whether the 37-year-old chooses to come back remains to be seen, but it's safe to say that the players desperately want him back.
Eagles' Locker Room Sounds Desperate for Brandon Graham's Return
Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported from the Eagles' locker room after the win, and the team couldn't sound more thrilled about the possibility of having Graham back.
"It would mean a lot. No matter if he comes back in any capacity," linebacker Nakobe Dean said. "If he plays every snap or no snaps, it don’t matter. The energy that BG brings is unparalleled. So just to have a guy like that in the locker room, it would be great."
Veteran defender Patrick Johnson echoed this sentiment.
"Haven’t gotten any word officially yet if it’s actually happening or not. But if it does, man, we’ve got so much love for him. I’ve been here for 5 years and I just know he welcomed me with open arms when I came," before emphasizing that Graham's arrival would "be great for our room."Patrick Johnson, Eagles LB
Not only does this speak volumes about how his former teammates think about an Eagles icon, but also demonstrates how desperate the team is for positive vibes. It is interesting that both Dean and Johnson talked more about Graham's off-field impact rather than his production on the field. The mention of the energy he brings and how good of a veteran he is suggests that some players may be thinking that there is a need for leadership.
The Eagles have Johnson, Jalyx Hunt, and Josh Uche as their only healthy pass rushers on the roster. Jihaad Campbell was used there in Week 7 as well, but it's obvious that the Eagles need more bodies in the unit. Graham's return would give them a boost on the field, but the team sounds more excited to have him come in and fix the chemistry.
If he can do that, it should have a positive impact on the Eagles' Super Bowl chances.