Vic Fangio Reacts to Brandon Graham Coming Out of Retirement to Rejoin Eagles Defense

As the Eagles prepare for their final game before the bye week, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio met with reporters to discuss veteran defensive end Brandon Graham’s decision to come out of retirement and rejoin the team’s defense.

While Fangio was clearly excited to have one of the franchise’s cornerstones back in the building, he tempered expectations when asked how soon Graham might contribute.

“We’ll see,” Fangio said. “We’ll see what kind of shape he’s in, what kind of retention he has from last year. Shape comes in two forms — conditioning and then football shape. Contact shape. So, hopefully the sooner the better.”

The defensive coordinator admitted he had been trying to coax Graham out of retirement for months.

“All the way from the start, I was teasing him not to retire — all the way back to last February or March. I’ve run into him a few times since, and I always tease him about it, trying to light the fire.”

Fangio said his experience coaching Graham last season gives him confidence that the veteran’s return will have a positive impact, even if it means adjusting rotations at defensive end.

“Once he’s back on the field, yeah, it’ll carve into some of the snaps of the other edge guys. But [BG] brings something special — leadership, energy, and reliability.”

As for how many snaps Graham might play right away, Fangio compared the situation to one from his Chicago days.

“[BG]’s coming out of retirement, and he’s older. When I was in Chicago, we traded for Khalil Mack after he missed all of camp. The fatigue police said 20 snaps — he played 45. So…”

It’s clear Fangio is leaving the door open for Graham to surprise people — again.