Friday’s reserve/futures deals across the NFL:
Chicago Bears
New York Giants
Philadelphia Eagles
The inside linebacker market has stagnated a bit since Fred Warner and Shaquille Leonard‘s paydays in 2021. Only one player — Roquan Smith — has since eclipsed those deals, and the market saw two of its top AAVs (C.J. Mosley and Foyesade Oluokun) drop due to extensions that brought pay cuts last year.
This year’s free agency period is unlikely to feature any true threats to eclipse Smith, but one ILB transformed his market thanks to a 2024 breakthrough. Zack Baun went from a largely unproductive edge rusher — and a player who researched special-teamers’ deals as comps going into free agency last year — to a first-team All-Pro. Baun almost completed the inverse of the Haason Reddick emergence, as the former Eagle revitalized his career after being moved from ILB to an edge role.
[RELATED: Eagles Win Super Bowl LIX]
Baun finished the season with 151 tackles, five forced fumbles and 3.5 sacks. He added a regular-season INT and a pivotal Super Bowl LIX pick, which set up the Eagles deep in Chiefs territory ahead of a second-quarter touchdown. Baun’s breakout year will generate an interesting market, as he is 28 and has no prior history of consistent play. This could make some teams hesitant, but Baun certainly proved he fits in Vic Fangio‘s scheme. And he would like to continue developing in Philadelphia.
“I’m curious. I don’t know what it’ll look like, honestly,” Baun said of his second crack at free agency (via PHLY’s Zach Berman). “…Hopefully it’s here. I love this place. I appreciate what they’ve done for my career and my family — just everything. I got a lot of options to weigh.”
The Eagles have some important defensive pieces nearing the market. Josh Sweat is chief among them, with Milton Williams also out of contract. Mekhi Becton joins Baun in being interested in staying with the Eagles, who saw both bargain-bin 2024 FA signings raise their values in helping Philly to its second Super Bowl championship. While Becton plays a higher-valued position, Baun was one of the NFL’s best defenders last season, getting there on a $3.5MM contract. He will be looking for a significant raise soon.
Last year’s market saw two eight-figure-per-year free agent ILB contracts handed out. The Texans gave Azeez Al-Shaair a three-year, $34MM deal; the Steelers signed off on a three-year, $41MM Patrick Queen pact. These contracts respectively check fifth and seventh among off-ball LBs. Considering Baun is 28 and just put together a first-team All-Pro season to help a team to a championship, it would seem reasonable he could target that price range.
Philly is projected to hold more than $18MM in cap space, a mid-pack number three-plus weeks ahead of the 2025 league year. The team’s creative 2024 maneuvering on offense showed an ability to afford a number of pricey extensions, as void years and option bonuses flood Howie Roseman‘s payroll. If the Eagles lose Baun, they would have a glaring need at linebacker thanks to Nakobe Dean having suffered a patellar tendon tear in the wild-card round. The team has not devoted much in the way of funds to this position in recent years, but Dean’s latest injury provides a complication.
Williams mentioned (via Berman) a desire to stay in a winning situation. That is often not prioritized by players seeking second contracts, as this window represents a key opportunity to cash in. The Eagles also have both Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis signed for multiple additional seasons, should the team pick up Davis’ fifth-year option by May. Williams could be an odd man out, as the Eagles figure to be saving up to extend the Georgia alums down the line. This could certainly mean Williams’ best offers will come from other teams, and the four-year veteran did add he would want “a situation to as close as this as possible.”
More than two years younger than Baun, Williams will be 26 by Week 1 of next season. He finished his contract year with career-high marks in sacks (five) and QB hits (10). Pass rush win rate slotted the former third-round pick sixth among interior D-linemen, who added two sacks and a forced fumble in Super Bowl LIX. Like Sweat, Baun and Becton, Williams made some money this past season.
Elsewhere on the Super Bowl champions’ roster, Landon Dickerson is likely to undergo knee surgery (via the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane). The Pro Bowl guard left the NFC championship game with a left knee malady and played through it in the Super Bowl. The Eagles have the All-Pro guard signed to a position-record $21MM-per-year deal.
A blend of new additions, one important reunion and holdovers from previous defenses helped the Eagles complete a turnaround in the secondary. This rejuvenated group, however, did not involve James Bradberry, who went through a complicated offseason before suffering an injury that kept him off the field throughout the year.
The Eagles kept Bradberry in the equation by waiting until after roster-cutdown day to place him on IR. That left the door open to the veteran DB returning, but Philadelphia never activated him. Bradberry did not practice with the team following training camp, and he shed some light on why following Super Bowl LIX.
The nine-year veteran said Thursday (via The Athletic’s Brooks Kubena) he had suffered an Achilles tear in training camp, and the summer setback also involved a soleus muscle tear. Despite this, Bradberry said (via 94WIP.com’s Eliot Shorr-Parks) he was ready to help during the season. He expects to be ready for OTAs. The Eagles did not have to disclose Bradberry’s injury, as he was not on the active roster all season.
Achilles tears regularly end seasons, but a few examples — involving Terrell Suggs, Michael Crabtree and Cam Akers — exist of players sustaining offseason tears before resurfacing for Super Bowl teams. Of that trio, only Akers suffered his tear during training camp. Akers returned to the Rams by Week 18 of the 2021 season but was not particularly effective. He still played in Super Bowl LVI. Bradberry will collect a Super Bowl LIX ring, but his Philly future is in doubt after this season-long absence.
Although the Eagles’ 2023 plan involving C.J. Gardner-Johnson featured reports of the team having him in their plans and then making an offer, the now-two-time Eagle DB said no offer came. It had appeared Gardner-Johnson was higher on the team’s priority list than Bradberry that year, but as CJGJ awaited a better offer from the Eagles or elsewhere, the team pivoted to re-signing Bradberry on a three-year, $38MM deal that included $20MM guaranteed at signing. The 31-year-old defender is under contract for 2025, but he has seen the team make major updates to the secondary, as first- and second-round picks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean played integral roles in the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX romp.
By training camp last year, the Eagles were trying Bradberry at safety. Bradberry, 31, suggested the move and said today (via Kubena) he made the safety call upon looking at the depth chart. However, he said today a switch back to CB will be preferred. The Eagles not only added the two highly drafted CBs but had Isaiah Rodgers in the fold after his gambling suspension ended. All three joined holdovers Darius Slay and Avonte Maddox in the team’s championship-winning formula. Rodgers and Maddox are due for free agency, while Slay is under contract through 2025.
Slay, 34, wants to play one more season — ideally with the Eagles — before retiring. The team has Mitchell and DeJean signed through 2027. While the two rookie contracts help, Philly has allocated considerable cash to its high-powered offense. As for Bradberry, his contract includes four void years — an Eagles staple — and is due a $1.26MM base salary this year. A $16.6MM option bonus due would point to the Eagles moving on, but the team would eat $10.8MM in dead money but cutting Bradberry. Slay is also due a $16.1MM option bonus, calling his Philly future into question.
The ex-Panthers and Giants No. 1 corner excelled in 2022 but took a step back in 2023, helping lead to the Eagles starting their draft with two corner picks. He will now be attempting to bounce back from a serious injury ahead of an age-32 season.
Josh Sweat had a strong end to his 2024 season, posting 2.5 sacks in Super Bowl LIX. His attention will now turn to free agency, where he will have the option of remaining with the Eagles or joining a new team for the first time in his career. 
Sweat racked up eight sacks during the regular season, the second-highest total of his seven-year career. Combined with his play on Sunday, the 27-year-old could therefore be in line for a notable payday on the open market. Sweat recently changed agents in preparation for his free agency.
One year ago, the former fourth-rounder’s Eagles future was uncertain. Short-term clarity emerged in the form of a restructured deal, though, which made 2025 a walk year and saw Sweat reduce his base salary. Given the guarantees present in the new pact, Philadelphia will be hit with a $16.39MM dead cap charge once it voids next week. That figure is separate from the cap charges which will be present from any new Eagles contract, something Sweat has not ruled out.
“Money’s important, sure, but I want to be in the right situation,” the Florida State product said (via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer). “I don’t know what it looks like for me now, but I’m happy.”
Sweat is one of the top options amongst pending free agent edge rushers considering his age and consistent production (at least six sacks in each of the past five years). The Eagles could look to keep him in the fold considering Brandon Graham is a strong candidate to retire and Milton Williams is also a pending free agent. Losing those two in addition to Sweat would leave the Eagles in need of finding multiple replacements along the defensive front.
Nolan Smith took on a starting role this season, and the 2023 first-rounder will be expected to be a key figure along the edge moving forward (especially given the poor return on investment seen from last year’s signing of Bryce Huff). It will be interesting to see if Sweat remains in the fold for the Eagles in 2025 and beyond or if free agency presents him with a strong fit elsewhere.
As expected, the Kellen Moore hire is moving forward. He is finalizing a deal to become the next head coach of the Saints, as first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. The agreement is now in place, per Rapoport. 
Moore’s tenure as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator will wind up lasting only one year. The 35-year-old returned to Philadelphia after the team’s Super Bowl win (at the Superdome), but he will now fly back to New Orleans to sign a contract. This will mark Moore’s first head coaching opportunity at the college or NFL levels.
After his playing career came to an end, the former quarterback joined the Cowboys’ coaching staff. One season as Dallas’ QBs coach was followed by a four-year run as the team’s offensive coordinator. Moore’s success in that capacity helped his stock, although then-head coach Mike McCarthy elected to take over play-calling duties in the 2023 offseason. Moore found himself on the move for the first time in his brief coaching career as a result.
The Chargers brought Moore in as their OC for 2023, the only season in Justin Herbert‘s career in which he missed time due to injury. Overall, Los Angeles ranked just 18th in yards and 21st in scoring, and the arrival of new head coach Jim Harbaugh led to Moore changing teams once again. The Eagles – having replaced Shane Steichen with Brian Johnson at the offensive coordinator spot in 2023 – were again in the market for a hire at that position.
Moore helped lead the Eagles to a strong showing on the ground in particular, with the free agent signing of Saquon Barkley proving to be a sound offseason investment. Philadelphia’s passing attack was inconsistent during the campaign, but Moore’s unit was stellar in the postseason. The Eagles scored an NFL-record 145 playoff points en route to winning the Super Bowl, something which helped cement him as the favorite for the Saints’ HC position.
New Orleans was unable to attract serious interest from some of the top candidates in this year’s cycle, with Kliff Kingsbury withdrawing to remain with the Commanders. Aaron Glenn – who previously coached with the Saints – lined up a second interview, but his top choice on that front was the Jets and he ultimately landed the gig with New York. McCarthy was seen as a strong contender for a time, but once he elected to step away from coaching in 2025 Moore moved into pole position.
The latter has drawn head coaching interest in the past, and this deal is expected to come with a considerable raise compared to his Eagles earnings. Still, Moore will face a tall task in his new gig considering where the Saints find themselves. New Orleans has not managed to remain a Super Bowl contender in the wake of Drew Brees‘ retirement and Sean Payton‘s departure, and returning to that level will be challenging. Dennis Allen was promoted to head coach as Payton’s replacement, but he went 18-25 before being dismissed midway through the 2024 campaign.
Special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi took over from Allen on an interim basis, and he interviewed for the position on a full-time basis. Rizzi’s fate – along with that of Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver – remained undetermined leading up to the Super Bowl with Moore looming as a potential hire. By rule, teams cannot make a head coaching hire with a staffer taking part in the Super Bowl until after the game is played. Now, in Rizzi’s case, a reunion with Payton on the Broncos’ staff can be expected.
The Saints have Derek Carr atop the quarterback depth chart for the time being, but on the whole his two-year New Orleans tenure has not gone according to plan. General manager Mickey Loomis made it clear the team’s head coaching hire would have a role in deciding how to proceed with Carr, 33. The four-time Pro Bowler is set to have his base salary guaranteed at the start of the new league year in March, and he is not prepared to take a pay cut. If New Orleans elected to move on, a trade market would likely exist.
Moore and Co. could prefer to keep Carr in the fold for 2025, but in either case adding cost-effective talent and managing yet another case of salary cap gymnastics will be needed this offseason. Still, expectations will be high from a big-picture perspective for Moore to guide the team through a transition back to efficiency on offense given his track record as a coordinator. He will look to move quickly in filling out his staff while the Eagles prepare to use a fourth different OC in as many years.
Philadelphia quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier could be a strong internal candidate to replace Moore, but he is seen as a leading option to join Moore in New Orleans. Brandon Staley – who worked alongside Moore during their time together with the Chargers – is also a staffer to watch closely over the coming days as a potential defensive coordinator hire. In any case, the final head coaching vacancy of the 2025 hiring cycle has been filled and the Saints aim to have found a long-term answer on the sidelines.
Even as Kellen Moore‘s stock climbed after Super Bowl LIX, the Eagles‘ OC did not opt to join the handful of coaches in rejecting the Saints to hold out for a potentially better job down the road. Moore is officially in place as the New Orleans HC, and he will now get to work on building a staff.
One of the names expected to be in play may soon have a decision to make. Both the Eagles and Saints are expected to show “strong” interest in Kevin Patullo for OC, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. Patullo works as Philadelphia’s pass-game coordinator, making him a natural fit to climb into Moore’s role or follow him to New Orleans for the same role.
The Eagles did not have success when they last promoted from within at OC, firing Brian Johnson after one season on the job. Like Johnson, Patullo arrived on Nick Sirianni‘s staff during the HC’s first offseason in charge (2021). He was mentioned as a candidate to replace Shane Steichen two years ago, but the Eagles did not promote Patullo over Johnson. Patullo, 43, also met with the Jets that offseason. That marks his lone coordinator interview to date. More appear likely to come soon.
Unlike Johnson, Patullo has been an NFL staffer for many years. He previously coached Jets QBs and Colts wide receivers, also enjoying stints with the Chiefs, Bills and Titans since 2007. The Eagles bumped him up to associate HC upon losing Steichen. After Moore led the charge to revitalize Philly’s offense, Patullo clearly played a big role in assisting him — to the point a one-and-done Eagles staffer looks to have hopes of bringing him along.
An offer from the Eagles would seemingly be more intriguing than one from Moore, however, as the Super Bowl champions once again need a new play-caller. Sirianni has not called plays since early during his first season as HC, which would open the door to Patullo taking a major step forward. A play-calling gig on an offense housing Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith would stand to rocket Patullo onto the HC carousel in 2026, depending on how the team’s title defense goes. Bigger questions loom in New Orleans, which will have Moore calling plays. Both teams must satisfy the Rooney Rule, which mandates one external minority interview in-person for the gig.
Additionally, the Saints will be starting on filling out a staff much later than the other six HC-needy teams this offseason. Waiting until after the Super Bowl to make their hire, the Saints are behind on the coordinator carousels. Brandon Staley is in the mix for DC. Moore worked under Staley in 2023 with the Chargers, which would make for an interesting arrangement should a reunion come to pass. Moore oversaw Patullo for one season as well, with most of the new Saints HC’s contacts coming from the Cowboys, who employed him as OC for four seasons.
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.
With Super Bowl LIX in the books, the 2024 campaign has come to a close. The final first-round order for April’s draft is now set as a result.
All 32 teams currently own a Day 1 selection, leaving the door open to each one adding a prospect in the first round for the first time since expansion in 2002. Any number of trades will no doubt take place between now and the draft, though, and it will be interesting to see how teams maneuver in the lead-in to the event. Of course, Tennessee in particular will be worth watching closely with a move to sell off the No. 1 pick being seen as a distinct possibility.
A weak quarterback class will leave teams like the Titans, Browns, Giants and Raiders with plenty of key offseason decisions. The free agent and trade markets do not offer many short-term alternatives which are seen as surefire additions, and teams which do not make moves in March will rely on the incoming group of rookies as part of their efforts to find a long-term solution under center. The two prospects seen as the clear-cut top options in 2025, however, are two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter and Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2024 standings plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. Playoff squads are slotted by their postseason outcome and the reverse order of their regular season record.
Here is a final look at the first-round order:
And, with that, the 2024 NFL season has come to an end. The clock has hit four zeroes, and the Philadelphia Eagles are the Super Bowl LIX champions beating the Kansas City Chiefs, 40-22.
After earning their first ever championship since before the 1970 AFL-NFL merger back in 2017, the Eagles have now won two Super Bowls in eight years, not to mention an additional appearance in the game two years ago. That last appearance, a Super Bowl LVII loss to the Chiefs, 38-35, was avenged tonight thanks to a dominant performance from Philadelphia’s defense.
Following that previous Super Bowl loss, the Eagles were a first-round exit last year. This led to a busy offseason that saw them extend the contracts of key offensive players like wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, left tackle Jordan Mailata, and left guard Landon Dickerson. Perhaps most important was the free agent signing of division-rival running back Saquon Barkley. Barkley led the league in rushing, accomplishing the NFL’s first 2,000-yard rushing season since 2020. With the production he had in the offseason, as well, including tonight’s win, Barkley broke the record for most single-season rushing yards including the postseason with 2,504 yards.
The team’s front office did big work on the defensive side of the ball, as well. First, they hired Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator to replace Sean Desai, whom they decided not to retain. Then, they reworked defensive end Josh Sweat‘s contract to keep him around for the year, added free agent pass rusher Bryce Huff across from him, and signed huge contributors in linebacker Zack Baun and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Perhaps most crucial to the defense were the first- and second-round draft additions of cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, the former of which finished second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting and the latter of which returned a Patrick Mahomes interception 38 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter of tonight’s game.
The Eagles’ dominance on defense was felt not only in the secondary but all over the field. In addition to interceptions by DeJean and Baun, Philadelphia racked up six sacks, 11 quarterback hits, and six tackles for loss without blitzing a single snap, per James Palmer of Bleacher Report. The offense spread out the ball well but, ultimately, didn’t do much, as they weren’t really asked to. Fangio and his unit were the unofficial MVPs of the game; quarterback Jalen Hurts was the official Super Bowl LIX Most Valuable Player.
The Eagles season had an up and down start. They opened up the year with a win over the Packers in Sao Paulo, Brazil, before dropping two of their next three games. Following an early Week 5 bye, Philadelphia established what their identity would be, rattling off 10 straight wins. An injury to Hurts resulted in their only loss after September as backups Kenny Pickett and Tanner McKee took over for the remainder of the season. A loss at quarterback wasn’t too detrimental, though, as the NFL’s No. 2 rushing offense was able to continue carrying the NFL’s 29th-best passing offense.
Tonight’s Super Bowl win was a microcosm of what the team’s defense had done all year. Fangio’s defense finished second in the NFL in scoring defense and was the top defense in total yards thanks to a passing defense that had the Eagles as the only team in the NFL not to allow 3,000 passing yards this year. The Eagles blitzed at a rate that was the fifth-least in the NFL in 2024, but that strategy didn’t really pay dividends until tonight as the team was fifth-worst in pressures during the regular season, as well.
This year, the Chiefs were the Chiefs. Despite a down year from Mahomes and injuries that held the team without one or both of wide receivers Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown for most of the season, the Chiefs won 15 games. They were buoyed a bit by a top-four scoring defense and the ninth-best total defense, but Mahomes’ clutch abilities were able to extend an already existing streak of wins in one-score games to 17 straight. 
The Chiefs’ goals of being the first threepeat in NFL history will now start over. They’ll expect to return Rice alongside this year’s first-round rookie, Xavier Worthy, next year, but receivers DeAndre Hopkins, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Mecole Hardman, and Brown are all destined for the free agent market. Also, with Kareem Hunt and Samaje Perine both in contract years, the Chiefs will have to decide how to approach the running backs group with only Isiah Pacheco and Carson Steele returning. Aside from that, a number of aging veterans like tight end Travis Kelce (36), left tackle Joe Thuney (33), and defensive tackle Chris Jones (31) may be starting to mull ideas about their future in the NFL.
As for the Eagles, while they will undoubtedly bask in the glow of this victory a little longer, their offseason awaits, as well. Key defenders like Sweat, Baun, cornerback Avonte Maddox, and defensive tackle Milton Williams are all facing free agency, not to mention veteran defensive end Brandon Graham, who, at 36 years old, has already indicated that retirement is in the cards. On offense, starting guard Mekhi Becton will be a free agent, and similar to Graham, right tackle Lane Johnson is 35 and could be thinking about walking out on top, as well. You can add 34-year-old cornerback Darius Slay and maybe even 32-year-old safety James Bradberry to that conversation, as well. Though, Slay spoke of wanting to play one more season.
For now, though, the Eagles will celebrate the accomplishments of the group they have. Led by stars familiar (Hurts, Brown, Smith) and new (Barkley) on offense, and a stout defense with consistent defensive line play, surprise contributors in the second level, and rising stars in the secondary.
While offensive coordinator Kellen Moore may end up getting poached to become the new head coach in New Orleans, the city that just got a front-row seat to see him win a Super Bowl, the rest of the staff, including Fangio and Super Bowl-winning head coach Nick Sirianni will focus on reloading and taking a shot at being the first NFC team to repeat as Super Bowl Champions since the Cowboys did so in the 1992 and 1993 seasons.
FEBARUARY 9: With Graham active for tonight, Huff is amongst the Eagles’ healthy scratches. The latter had played in two of Philadelphia’s postseason games, and after signing a $17MM-per-year pact the fact he is not in the team’s Super Bowl lineup is a rather notable development. Most of Huff’s 2025 compensation is guaranteed, but his next action for Philadelphia will come next year.
FEBRUARY 8: The biggest game of the year will take place tomorrow night as the Chiefs are looking to threepeat for the first time in NFL history. The Eagles, on the other hand, are looking to avenge their Super Bowl loss to Patrick Mahomes and company from just two years ago. As has been the case all year, each team is allowed to elevate two players from their practice squad. Philadelphia has also taken the additional step to activate defensive end Brandon Graham from injured reserve. 
Graham suffered a triceps tear in November, and it immediately became clear that he would not play again during the regular season. Triceps tears come with lengthy recovery timetables, and the 36-year-old said in the aftermath of the game in which his took place that he would be out for the rest of the year. As the season went on and the postseason drew nearer, hope began to rise that Graham would be able to make a return if the Eagles could last long enough to play in the Super Bowl.
To add on to that, Graham, who has spent his entire 15-year tenure in Philadelphia, said in July that he would retire following the 2024 campaign. If he is going to hold true to his word, he needed the team to keep winning in order to play one more game in green.
Luckily for Graham, his team held up their end of the bargain, and now, he’ll be able to hold up his. A Graham comeback will be significant for the Eagles, who have dealt with injuries to both he and Bryce Huff this season. Huff has since returned, though he is playing behind starters Josh Sweat and Nolan Smith in Vic Fangio‘s defense. At the time of his injury, Graham had already topped his 2023 full-season totals for sacks and QB hits in 11 games this season. The longest-tenured player in Eagles history was sitting on 3.5 and seven, respectively, in those categories when he went down against the Rams.
In order to make room on the roster, the Eagles have placed backup center Nick Gates on injured reserve. For their two practice squad callups, the Eagles have tabbed fullback Khari Blasingame and linebacker Nicholas Morrow. Blasingame has been elevated for all three of the team’s playoff games so far, while Morrow has been elevated for each of the last two.
The Chiefs only made standard gameday practice squad elevations today. Linebacker Swayze Bozeman and cornerback Steven Nelson will join the active roster for the final game of the season. Bozeman has played in two playoff games already for Kansas City, while Nelson will be making his 2024 debut.