The Reunion No One Saw Coming: Howie Roseman Finally Explains Brandon Graham’s Return to Philly.QQ
The Philadelphia Eagles were able to persuade Brandon Graham to come out of retirement last month to help bolster the team’s pass rush.
However, general manager Howie Roseman revealed this week that the team was trying to bring Graham back for one last run before the season even started.
“Before the season started and before we went down any path, I called BG,” Roseman said. “I’m fortunate, really, to have special relationships with a bunch of guys here, and BG is my first pick, and so I just reached out and said, ‘Hey, we’re in the market for an edge rusher. How are you feeling? And at the time, he just felt like that wasn’t the right timing for him. You know, had him really contemplated, he was doing a bunch of other things, but apparently he got his mind started moving a little bit, and he started working out a little bit harder.”
Howie Roseman called BG a second time following Za’Darius Smith’s retirement
Roseman let him be for a while until Za’Darius Smith abruptly retired in the middle of the season.
“When he retired, I picked up the phone again and just said, ‘Hey, you know, I’m just reaching out again. I had heard a little bit through the grapevine that you’re working out a little bit harder.’ And, you know, I got that little BG cackle,” Roseman said. “… That kind of gave me a sense that, you know, he wanted to come back.”
Roseman believed Graham was hesitant at first because he wanted to see how good the Eagles looked before he jumped the gun and came out of retirement.
“I don’t know, maybe he was trying to have our team prove that we were any good, and when he saw that we had a chance here, he wanted to take the opportunity,” Roseman said.
“But love having him back. I said to him when he came back, ‘I guess there’s going to be a day where we’re not going to have you to rely on. I’m just glad that day’s not today.”
