Brandon Graham has announced his retirement from the NFL after 15 seasons, all of which came with the Philadelphia Eagles. The veteran defensive end held a press conference at the NovaCare Complex Tuesday afternoon to announce the decision, along with his future plans with the organization.
“I gave it everything I had,” Graham said to start his presser. “I have no regrets.”
The longest-tenured player in Eagles history, Graham goes out with his final game being a Super Bowl victory. Graham won two Super Bowl championships with the Eagles, joining Lane Johnson, Rick Lovato, and Jake Elliott as the only players to win two Super Bowl championships with the Eagles franchise.
player headshot team logo Brandon Graham PHI • DE • #55 View Profile Eagles chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie released a statement after Graham officially announced his retirement.
Without question, Brandon Graham is the embodiment of everything you would want in a Philadelphia Eagle. He’s special player and person. It’s only fitting that he has played in more games than anyone else in the history of this franchise.
The positive energy he brought every day was infectious. Whether it was a practice, a game, or just walking around the building — anyone who has had the pleasure of interacting with him would tell you that it was impossible to have a bad day after being in his presence. Make no mistake, he was a tough, physical, and physical player who played an integral role in the success we had over the years.
Although Brandon is officially retiring as a player, we know that his impact on our team will continue to be felt for many years to come. Whether it is through culture he helped us build or his future endeavors, on behalf of the Philadelphia Eagles, we congratulate Brandon on an incredible career and wish him and his family all the best in retirement.
Graham played in the most regular-season games in Eagles history (206), standing as the only player to play in 200 regular-season games for the franchise. Graham is also the only player to play 15 seasons for the franchise, breaking a tie with Chuck Bednarik for the most seasons played in an Eagles uniform. His 218 total games played, including playoffs, are also the most ever for a player in franchise history.
Responsible for arguably the greatest play in Eagles history, strip-sacking Tom Brady with under two minutes to play in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LII with the Eagles holding a 38-33 lead. Graham forced the strip-sack on Brady and Derek Barnett recovered the fumble, setting up a Jake Elliott field goal with 1:05 remaining to put the Eagles up 41-33. The Eagles won their first Super Bowl title and ended a 57-year championship drought, as Graham forced the lone turnover of the game for Philadelphia in the win. Graham’s 5.5 sacks in the postseason are the most in Eagles franchise history.
Eagles’ Lane Johnson agrees to one-year extension; star OT also gets pay raise for next 2 seasons, per report Garrett Podell Eagles’ Lane Johnson agrees to one-year extension; star OT also gets pay raise for next 2 seasons, per report One of the most legendary players to don an Eagles uniform, Graham ends his career with the third-most sacks (76.5) in franchise history — behind only Reggie White (124.0) and Trent Cole (85.5). Graham was a second team All-Pro in 2016 and a Pro Bowl selection in 2020, while also notching a career-high 11 sacks in 2022 at the age of 34. Per PFF, Graham is fifth in pressures since 2010 (702) and 11th in pressure rate (15.5%) amongst players with at least 1,000 snaps played since 2010 (his rookie season).
Graham will go down as one of the best players in Eagles history, ending an incredible career with the franchise as a champion.
“I couldn’t have asked for anything sweeter than this,” Graham said. “Fifteen years ago, I walked into this city with dreams, big dreams. Today as I sit here, my entire life his been forever changed because of this magical place.”
Welcome to the Tuesday edition of the Pick Six newsletter!
We are now in Day 8 of Aaron Rodgers watch and nothing has changed. Apparently, Rodgers has enjoyed being a free agent so much that he plans on being a free agent forever.
Rodgers hasn’t given any hints about where he might end up, two teams are definitely interested in signing him (Steelers and Giants) and one other team might be interested (Vikings). Aaron, if you’re reading, Cam Heyward really wants to you to just MAKE A DECISION ALREADY.
OK, that’s your daily Rodgers update, and now, we will not be mentioning him for the rest of the newsletter. Actually, I just read the rest of the newsletter and it turns out that we will be mentioning him once more, but THAT’S it.
Anyway, we’ve got some more free agency grades today, plus we’ll be ranking every team in the AFC so we can see if any of the teams actually got better in free agency.
As always, here’s your daily reminder to tell all your friends to sign up for the newsletter. To get them signed up, all you have to do is click here.
Free agency grades: Commanders earn highest mark of any team from our football professors During the start of free agency last week, we were handing out grades based on how teams did during each day of free agency. Today, we’re handing out grades based on how each team did overall in free agency.
Our team of graders included Tyler Sullivan, Jordan Dajani and Garrett Podell and they were ruthless: Only four teams in the NFL ended up getting a grade in the “A” range.
Let’s check four grades that they handed out:
Commanders: A+. “This is EXACTLY how you build around a franchise quarterback who is still on his rookie contract. The Commanders, fresh off a trip to the NFC Championship, have made several splashes in the early stages of this free agent cycle. First, they kept their core intact by bringing back Bobby Wagner and Zach Ertz. Meanwhile, they made massive trades landing Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil.” Buccaneers: B. “Remarkably, the Bucs were able to retain wideout Chris Godwin, despite him getting to the open market. Even with a lot of teams vying for his services, he elects to stay put and maintain what is one of the better one-two punches at receiver between him and Mike Evans for Baker Mayfield. Tampa Bay also added to its pass-rushing group with Haason Reddick on a one-year, $14 million deal.” Cowboys: C-. “Dallas has gone bargain-bin diving for low-cost former first-round picks. They’ve taken one-year or two-year fliers on the following former first-round picks: Payton Turner, Solomon Thomas, Kaiir Elam and Kenneth Murray.” Rams: B+. “After a wild few weeks, the Rams were able to keep Matthew Stafford in-house, keeping their quarterback position stable. They also kept starting left tackle Alaric Jackson. On top of that, they gave Stafford a new pass catcher in Davante Adams, who should form a lethal one-two punch with Puka Nacua Los Angeles also poached Ponna Ford from the Chargers to add to its defensive line.” We have grades for every team and you can check those out here.
Ranking every AFC team after the first wave of free agency getty-andy-reid-chiefs.jpg Getty Images Now that the first wave of free agency is out of the way, we thought it would be a good time to rank every team in the NFL, so that’s exactly what we’re going to do today. Actually, I take that back, we’re only going to rank the AFC teams today. We’ll get to the NFC teams later in the week.
With that mind, here’s our post-free agency rankings of each AFC team, courtesy of Jordan Dajani:
Chiefs
Bills
Ravens
Broncos
Bengals
Texans
Chargers
Steelers
Dolphins
Raiders
The one thing that instantly stands out to me about these rankings is that the AFC West could be stacked in 2025. Not only did the division send three teams to the playoffs last year, but it’s the only division with all four of its teams ranked in Jordan’s top 10.
Anyway, we only listed the top 10 AFC teams here. If you want to see how Jordan ranked all 16 AFC teams, then you’ll have to check out the rest of his rankings here.
10 highest-paid non-quarterbacks in the NFL With Ja’Marr Chase getting a contract on Sunday that will pay him $40.25 million per year, that means he’s now the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL.
If you’re wondering who else is on that list, Jeff Kerr has the answer. Let’s take a look at the nine highest-paid non-quarterbacks in the NFL based on average annual salary:
Ja’Marr Chase: $40.25 million
Myles Garrett: $40 million
Maxx Crosby: $35.5 million
Justin Jefferson: $35 million T-5. CeeDee Lamb: $34 million T-5. Nick Bosa: $34 million
A.J. Brown: $32 million
Chris Jones: $31.75 million
Amon-Ra St. Brown: $30.002 million
If you’re wondering which positions NFL teams value the most, this list would seem to answer that question. There are nine names and they all play one of two positions: Receiver or pass rusher.
The top spot on this list changed hands three times in an 11-day period. Crosby was at the top on March 5 after signing an extension from the Raiders. Garrett moved past Crosby on March 9 when he signed his new deal and Chase passed them both with his new contract on March 16.
Although Chase holds the title now, he might not have it for very long. Micah Parsons will be getting an extension soon from the Cowboys and he could top the Bengals receiver. Also, Aidan Hutchinson is now eligible for an extension and it won’t be surprising if he also gets to or passes Chase’s number.
Top remaining free agent at each position j-k-dobbins-los-angeles-chargers-usatsi.jpg Imagn Images It’s been almost a week since free agency officially started and although most of the top players have already been signed, there are still plenty of solid players on the market.
So who’s still out there? Glad you asked. Jeff Kerr decided to take a look at the top available player at each position. Let’s check out who’s still on the market on the offensive side of the ball.
NFL teams are always trying to get younger, so you probably won’t be surprised to learn that five of the seven players on this list are already 30 or will be 30 by the time the 2025 season starts. If you want to check out the best remaining defensive free agents, you can do there here. On Friday, we’ll be closing out the week by taking a look at the top 10 free agents who are still available.
Why the Falcons kept Kirk Cousins: The decision actually made some sense Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot spent the offseason saying that his team would NOT be releasing Kirk Cousins, and he wasn’t kidding. Although there was some speculation that Cousins might be released, the Falcons ended up holding on to him even though he had a $10 million roster bonus for 2026 that became fully guaranteed as of 4 p.m. ET on Saturday (Cousins was going to be entitled to the bonus if he was still on the roster, and of course, he’s still on the roster).
So why did the Falcons end up holding on to Cousins? It make sense for two seasons:
He could be trade bait. The Falcons signed Cousins to a contract that included $90 million in guaranteed money, so if they had cut him, he would have gotten the $90 million for one year and the Falcons would have gotten nothing in return. By keeping Cousins, the Falcons have now put themselves in a spot where they COULD get something in return. If a QB gets injured this year or if a team finds itself in desperate need of a QB, the Falcons would be in a spot where they could trade Cousins for decent draft compensation. The only problem with this possible plan is that Cousins has a no-trade clause, so he could potentially veto any deal. That being said, if he wants to be a starter somewhere and his options are “get traded or be the Falcons backup” then he might willing to waive his no-trade clause. The Falcons likely didn’t care about Cousins’ $10 million roster bonus. Cousins had a $10 million roster bonus that became guaranteed on March 15, but that money isn’t due to him until March 2026. The Falcons could keep him for one more season and then let Cousins test free agency in 2026. If Cousins did that and signed a deal worth more than $10 million with another team, the Falcons would likely owe him nothing due to offsets (If you’re wondering how offsets work, here’s an example: If Cousins signed a $1 million contract with another team next offseason, then the Falcons would still own him $9 million so that he gets the full $10 million. If a team paid him $8 million for 2026, then the Falcons would owe him $2 million. If another team paid him $10 million or more, then the Falcons would owe him nothing). Quarterbacks are a valuable commodity in the NFL, so it wouldn’t have made sense for the Falcons to just let Cousins walk away. It will certainly be awkward if he’s still on the roster come Week 1, so it won’t be surprising at all if he ends up getting traded, but for now, he’s still on Atlanta’s roster sitting right behind Michael Penix Jr. on the depth chart.
The Browns are apparently ready to pounce on Cousins if he ever gets released, but it’s unclear if they’d be willing to make a trade for him.
Extra points: Longtime Eagles defender announces retirement usatsi-brandon-graham.jpg Imagn Images It’s been a busy 24 hours the NFL, and since it’s nearly impossible to keep track of everything that happened, I went ahead and put together a roundup for you.
Eagles’ Brandon Graham hanging up his cleats: The veteran defensive end announced his retirement from the NFL after 15 seasons on Tuesday. Graham won two Super Bowl championships with the Eagles, joining Lane Johnson, Rick Lovato and Jake Elliott. You can check out what Graham had to say and what his future holds here. Lane Johnson lands one-year extension. Johnson has been the anchor of the Eagles’ offensive line since 2013 and he’s going to be sticking around for a few more years. Johnson agreed to terms on a one-year extension this week, which means his contract now runs through 2027. The biggest upside for the 34-year-old with the new deal is that he’s getting an extra $30 million in guaranteed money. You can see the full details of the deal here. Eagles add a linebacker from a division rival. The Eagles landed one of the top available pass rushers on Monday by signing Azeez Ojulari to a one-year deal that’s worth up to $4 million. Ojulari had six sacks in just 11 games for the Giants last season, but he’s struggled to stay healthy. In 2024, he missed six games due to a toe injury. We’ve got more on Ojulari’s signing here. Dolphins set to sign for Steelers’ first-round pick. The Dolphins have added some depth at cornerback in the form of Artie Burns. The 29-year-old is headed to Miami after spending his past three seasons in Seattle, where he started just one game for the Seahawks. Burns has been mostly a role player since entering the NFL in 2016 when the Steelers made him the 25th overall pick in the NFL Draft. Steelers bring in some safety help. After two seasons in Cleveland, former Browns safety Juan Thornhill is jumping ship and heading to Pittsburgh. The 29-year-old has agreed to terms on a one-year deal and we’ve got the full details here.
Brandon Graham always let the door open to return for a 16th NFL season, even after winning Super Bowl LIX with the Philadelphia eagles. Graham already had a Super Bowl championship and his legacy intact, so why come back and play another season?
The longest-tenured Eagles player, Graham didn’t reveal he officially was going to retire before the Super Bowl. So what was the tipping point toward Graham’s decision?
“If I didn’t make it to the Super Bowl, I probably wouldn’t be up here right now,” Graham said at his retirement press conference. “I promise you I’d be begging to come back one more (year). I was happy to be able to make it back to play with my guys one last time, to put that uniform on in the big moment.”
Graham tore his triceps in a Week 12 win over the Los Angeles Rams and was out for several months. The only realistic chance Graham had of returning was if the Eagles reached Super Bowl LIX. The game was right in Graham’s timeline of a potential return, which several Eagles players wanted to make sure they earned their way to New Orleans so Graham could play one more time.
Longtime Eagles star Brandon Graham announces retirement from NFL after 15 seasons, two Super Bowl rings Jeff Kerr Longtime Eagles star Brandon Graham announces retirement from NFL after 15 seasons, two Super Bowl rings “It all started in Vic [ Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio] keeping us prepared and our coaches putting in that work to relay that message for the week and we trusted ourselves in that week. Me being a part of that, that was all I needed to know,” Graham said. “I felt like my prayers were answered being able to come back and being with them boys one last time.”
Graham admitted he retore his triceps in the Super Bowl LIX victory, yet stayed in the game until the very end (he played 13 snaps). He still thought about coming back for a 16th NFL season, but the decision was made.
“The competitor in me wanted to come back, but I couldn’t ask for nothing sweeter than this,” Graham said. “I’m thankful to have came back and be able to play my last game with integrity and play good at that.
“Went out on my own terms and came out a champion.”
Lance was selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and hasn’t really had an opportunity over the last few years. He got a four-year, $34 million rookie deal and will be a free agent at the end of the season.
The Cowboys acquired Lance as a player to help backup Dak Prescott but even with the star down due to an injury, he hasn’t even gotten an opportunity in Dallas yet. There’s one game left in the season and there’s a chance Lance could get some time, but it has been a weird stint with the team.
There doesn’t seem to be any chance that he is going to be returning in 2025. CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin predicted he will end up signing with the Los Angeles Chargers.
“Trey Lance signs with the Chargers as Justin Herbert’s new backup,” Benjamin said.
Los Angeles clearly is set at quarterback with Herbert. Maybe Lance could be a solid backup behind him. It would be nice for Lance to get an opportunity with a team where he can actually show that he can play, but Los Angeles also would be a nice place to be.
Third time’s a charm, right? The Chiefs are ready to go in the 2025 NFL playoffs, trying to become the first team to win three straight titles in the Super Bowl era. If anyone can do it, it’s Kansas City.
The Chiefs enter the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the AFC, an advantage in a handful of ways, but most notably giving the team an automatic bye in the first week. Kansas City will sit out the Wild-card, awaiting the results to see who they will play in the Divisional Round.
Plus, this means every game up until the Super Bowl will be at Arrowhead Stadium. What could be better than that?
BUY NOW: Get tickets to Chiefs 2025 playoff games on StubHub
Somehow, this season may be one of the Chiefs’ best. They lost just once through the first 17 weeks of the season in a defeat on the road against the Bills. They’ve survived one overtime and nine more one-score games. It hasn’t always been pretty, but the two-time defending champs know how to get it done.
When it comes to the NFL playoffs, there’s no better place to be than Arrowhead Stadium. Here’s how to do just that with the best deals on tickets for Chiefs postseason games in 2025.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have hit a rough patch in the 2024 season, as Mike Tomlin’s squad has lost three straight games and lost their first-place lead in the AFC North after suffering a Week 16 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens and a Week 17 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Steelers will finish the regular season versus the Cincinnati Bengals at home on Saturday.
The Steelers’ defense has taken a massive step back over the last few weeks, primarily the secondary. Pittsburgh’s pass coverage was exceeding expectations through the first dozen weeks of the year, but they have allowed a ton of explosive plays in the past couple of games.
The ‘Mad Minute’ on Bengals-Steelers in Week 18 ‘GMFB’
General manager Omar Khan should make bolstering the cornerback room a priority this offseason. Joey Porter Jr. is a promising player who has performed well this season, but Donte Jackson isn’t a reliable CB2, and the rest of the position group is lackluster.
Pittsburgh could look to select a cornerback in April’s draft to address the pressing need, but Last Word On Sports’ Jack Aaron lists the Steelers as a potential landing spot for San Francisco 49ers veteran Charvarius Ward.
2024 has been a bumpy ride for the San Francisco 49ers and Charvarius Ward has certainly been a part of it. 2023 saw Ward enjoy his best season yet, as PFF ranked him as the third-best cornerback in the league, only behind Sauce Gardner and Trent McDuffie. In a 2023 season mired by secondary injuries in San Francisco, Ward stood out as the team’s biggest stopgap for opposing receivers. 2024 saw him face a personal tragedy in the loss of his child.
After a six-game hiatus, Ward didn’t look like the same guy, totally understandable with what he had on his mind. His coverage skills were lacking, which is concerning for a guy who’s 29. However, with just one year removed from an elite season, he’s someone who shouldn’t be slept on. Any team with a cornerback need should go after him, though it won’t be cheap.
As Aaron stated, Ward has gone through some personal tragedies this year and has had a rough 2024 campaign. But when the 28-year-old is playing to the best of his abilities, there aren’t many corners in the NFL better. During the 2023 season, Ward was elite, logging over 1,100 snaps and allowing just a 58.3% completion rate and a 63.7 passer rating when targeted.
Additionally, the former Kansas City Chief snagged five interceptions and led the league in passes defended last season with 23. Ward was selected to his first career Pro Bowl and was also a second-team All-Pro selection.
Though Ward will likely demand a sizeable contract in free agency and had a down year in 2024, the former Middle Tennessee State is still a capable starting corner with veteran and championship experience. The Steelers should look to sign the Super Bowl LIV champion in 2025 free agency and hope he returns to his 2023 form when he was one of the best defensive players in football.
The Detroit Lions’ defense has been one of the most formidable units in the NFL this season, as the group is allowing 20.8 points per game and 97.0 rushing yards per game, both ranking in the top ten. Though Aaron Glenn’s defense has been exceptional for most of the year, they have struggled over the last few weeks, and the injuries the unit has endured in 2024 may be catching up to them.
Detroit’s defense has allowed over 31 points in three of the past four games, as the group is showing signs of weakness. The Lions have had multiple key defensive starters miss time due to injury this season, and the defense’s injuries and recent struggles have many doubting if the unit can be good enough to propel the team to a Super Bowl title.
Biggest takeaways from Lions Week 17 ‘MNF’ win vs. 49ers ‘GMFB’
Linebacker and team captain Alex Anzalone spoke to the media about the defense’s recent blunders and had a strong message for those who doubt them.
Anzalone called it “b*” for those who feel that Detroit’s defense isn’t good enough to win the Super Bowl, per ESPN’s Eric Woodyard. The 30-year-old has all the confidence in the world in his group, and it sounds like Anzalone could also be on the brink of a return from injury.
Lions LB Alex Anzalone has a steel plate in his left forearm. Says he’s still unsure if he’ll play this week against Minnesota. He’s certainly not close to 100% but called it “bullsh*t” for those who feel that Detroit’s defense isn’t good enough to win the Super Bowl. pic.twitter.com/19xX8o4b93
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) January 2, 2025 Alex Anzalone injury update Anzalone broke his forearm during the Lions’ Week 11 contest versus the Jacksonville Jaguars and was placed on Injured Reserve days after the game. But the former Florida standout was activated off IR on Wednesday and was a full participant in practice on Thursday.
Here is the full #Lions practice report.
Alex Anzalone (forearm) was a full participant today. pic.twitter.com/816Vd2QIQF
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) January 2, 2025 Though the 2017 third-round pick is nearing a highly anticipated return, Anzalone admitted on Thursday that he might not be ready to play on Sunday when the Lions square off against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 18.
“Obviously, the doctors and the trainers they go through what the risks are: waiting a week, waiting two weeks, going through practice, maybe letting it spin next week or the week after that or this week,” Anzalone said Thursday. “So I think that for me personally, I think it’s like, ‘Okay, say if something did happen, would I be okay not playing in the Super Bowl?’ So I think that’s kind of the decision I have to make in my own head, and is it worth it? How do I feel going over these next few practices? And go from there, because I haven’t practiced in six weeks. So, I’m just using my arm and seeing how it goes.”
It’s safe to say that Anzalone is itching to return, but the veteran won’t rush things and wants to make sure that he is 100% ready before stepping back onto the field. As for the people who are doubting the Lions’ defense, Anzalone couldn’t be more motivated to prove them wrong.
Even with highly-touted rookie J.J. McCarthy in the mix as soon as the 2025 season, the prevailing theme surrounding Darnold and the Vikings is that the two sides will explore a resolution to his expiring contract, either by extension or the franchise tag.
MORE: Mike Greenberg has bold take for team that loses Lions-Vikings matchup in Week 18
NFL insider Jeremy Fowler dropped some interesting notes in his weekly NFL buzz column for ESPN. For starters, he wrote that not one NFL team he’s talked to thinks “Darnold gets top-10 quarterback money” in 2025 and beyond. That’s good news for Vikings fans looking for the team to sign Darnold to a multi-year extension.
Fowler also noted that some NFL executives still believe Darnold could leave Minnesota in free agency:
A separate AFC executive believes Minnesota lets him walk because “they have McCarthy but they also have Daniel Jones, who can be the next resurrection project for them — and both would be much cheaper.” (Jones is on the practice squad.) Deepening the intrigue: At least five teams picking in the top 10 of the draft need a QB, and the supply doesn’t meet the demand. That increases the chances of a team making Darnold an attractive offer.
It’s unclear how Daniel Jones fits in the Vikings’ future plans, but the team signed the former New York Giants starter for a reason. DJ could certainly be viewed as Darnold insurance, should contract negotiations go sideways this offseason.
To Darnold’s credit, the Vikings are 5-0 since Jones signed with the practice squad in late November. The offense is averaging 30 points per game over that stretch. Darnold’s let his play do the talking, and because of that, DJ’s arrival in Minnesota continues to be a non-story.
It all comes down to money: Are the Vikings comfortable with using the franchise tag on Darnold at close to $41 million? Do they have a limit to how high they would go for another shorter-term “bridge deal” to McCarthy? Are they really willing to let a Pro Bowl-level quarterback walk, just to hand the reins to either a first-year starter or another “resurrection project?”
The Vikings have had exactly two teams reach 14 wins in franchise history, this 2024 team, and the 1998 squad that lost to the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game. In other words, 14-win seasons don’t exactly grow on trees, and it would take a bizarre twist at this point for the Vikings to cut bait with Darnold after the season he and this team has had.
One person’s future who is up in the air right now is head coach Mike McCarthy. There have been rumblings about the Cowboys possibly choosing to go in a different direction after the season. But, could McCarthy actually decide to go somewhere else instead?
He’s not under contract beyond this season and will have a chance to leave if he wants. One team that he reportedly could have an interest in is the Chicago Bears, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
“I’ve talked to multiple people who believe McCarthy — should he leave Dallas — could set his sights on Chicago,” Fowler said.
There have been talks about Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as a target for the Bears but he surely won’t be the only one. McCarthy is a Super Bowl-winning head coach who is loved in the locker room. Maybe he could decide to cut ties with the Cowboys after the season.
