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The Philadelphia Eagles OFFICIALLY activated Super Bowl hero Brandon Graham from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list on Monday morning, according to an announcement from the team.
News of this possibility was first reported by Howard Eskin on Sunday evening.
It’s great to see that Graham will be back at practice after having offseason surgery on the high ankle sprain he played through during the Eagles’ playoff run to the Super Bowl. Graham will have 17 days to get ready for Philadelphia’s Week 1 game against the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday, September 6. NFL insider Ian Rapoport notes that Graham returning to practice today “gives him a good chance of being ready for the opener.”
Getting Graham back figures to be a big boost for an Eagles defense that led the NFL in pressures generated last season. Graham, who led the team with 9.5 sacks, obviously had a lot to do with Philadelphia’s defensive success.
Note that taking Graham off the PUP list does not free up a roster spot. Graham already counted towards the 90-man total.
Two Eagles players still remain on the active/PUP list: Alshon Jeffery and Chris Maragos. It remains to be seen when they’ll come off. Timmy Jernigan, meanwhile, is expected to begin the season on the non-football injury (NFI) list.