Official: Eagles, Brandon Graham reach contract extension [UPDATE]

OFFICIAL: The team officially confirmed the news.

UPDATE: ESPN reports Brandon Graham’s one-year extension is worth close to $20 million over two years.

ORIGINAL STORY BELOW.

Brandon Graham and the Philadelphia Eagles are working on a contract extension, according to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Fowler reports “it’s likely a one-year extension” that will “re-arrange Graham’s $17.9 million cap hit [in 2021] and $13 million salary while likely adding new money.” Such an agreement would see Graham signed through the 2022 season.

It was previously reported that Graham and the Eagles were working on a restructure, which was never a surprising development:

REVIEW: Brandon Lee Graham (the better BLG) was one of the very few bright spots from a lost season. Originally on pace to have a career year with seven sacks through his first eight games, it looked like Graham was finally going to hit his stated goal of notching double-digit sacks. Unfortunately, he only posted one more sack in his final eight games, but that didn’t prevent the 2010 first-round pick from earning his first career Pro Bowl berth. The achievement only helped to further cement his status as an all-time Eagle.

OUTLOOK: In an ideal world, the Eagles would trade Graham to a team that’s in more of a ‘win-now’ mode to do right by him, clear some cap space, and get an asset in return. But cutting or trading Graham only opens up $716,000 compared to over $17.2 million in dead money. So, BLG isn’t going anywhere. On the contrary, the Eagles might actually look to extend his contract or restructure his deal in order to lower the $17.9 million cap hit he’s carrying in 2021. Graham probably has some good seasons left in him. He’s coming off a year where he finished 18th out of 121 edge rushers in Pro Football Focus’s pass rush productivity stat. Even with the team looking to get younger, he’s a good veteran presence to have in the locker room.

The Eagles signing Graham to a new contract will help them clear cap space this year.