Brandon Graham on deal with Eagles: I didn’t want to miss a championship with Jalen Hurts

Brandon Graham will pass up more money on the open market to return with the Philadelphia Eagles and Jalen Hurts is a huge reason why the veteran pass rusher can’t leave

Brandon Graham is returning to the Eagles, forgoing 2023 NFL free agency in order to eventually sign a one-year, $6 million deal when the new league year begins.

Graham told Tim McManus of ESPN that it wasn’t about the money, and rather another Super Bowl chase led by quarterback Jalen Hurts.

“I definitely don’t want to miss out on this championship that we’re about to make a run for,” Graham told ESPN. “I pretty much directed [my agent] Joel [Segal] just to get a deal done before free agency so I wouldn’t have to go through that part. I’m just so happy everything came to fruition.

“It wasn’t even about no money. It was more about wanting to be an Eagle as long as I could still play at a high level, and of course, I still have a sour taste in my mouth on how things ended this last year [with a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl].”

In March 2021 during a sitdown with Zach Berman of The Athletic, Graham talked about Hurts’s potential and what could be, which was a major reason for him bypassing NFL free agency then as well.

Graham is 11 games away from passing Harold Carmichael (180), Brian Dawkins (183), and David Akers (188) for the franchise record for games played.

2023 will be Graham’s 14th with Philadelphia, tying him with Chuck Bednarik for the most in franchise history

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