PHILADELPHIA — Brandon Graham received a hero’s welcome at the NovaCare Complex. Graham’s locker, the same one he used for years, was swarmed by reporters on Wednesday waiting to speak with the franchise legend. 

Graham’s decision to rejoin the Eagles after retiring in March has been met with celebration from pretty much everyone. Fans, players and coaches alike recognize the value Graham offers as both a leader in the locker room and an experienced option in a thin edge rusher room.

But it would be more than fair if a few players weren’t necessarily thrilled to see Graham return.

Because the 37-year-old’s return is more than ceremonial. Graham is going to play a role on the Eagles’ defense, which means he’s going to take snaps away from someone else.

Two of the players who could be affected? Joshua Uche and Patrick Johnson. 

Uche settled into the team’s No. 3 edge rusher role behind Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt over the last few months. Smith landing on IR and the addition of Za’Darius Smith, who abruptly retired last week, reconfigured the pecking order a bit. But Uche has logged 173 defensive snaps in seven games with at least 27 snaps each of the last four weeks. 

Johnson, meanwhile, has gone from missing the initial 53-man roster to being an important rotational piece. With injuries to Nolan Smith, Ogbo Okoronkwo and Azeez Ojulari, Johnson played more snaps in the last two games (48) than he did in the previous five (41). 

Now, both Johnson and Uche said they’re happy to see Graham back. But with the franchise’s all-time leader in TFLs in the mix, Johnson and Uche’s roles could change.  

“It’s for the collective and for the good of the group,” Uche told PennLive of Graham’s return. “And if that’s a decision the coaches want to make in terms of cutting my snaps, that’s out of my control. But I just know the coaches are going to do whatever they have to do to help the team win. At the end of the day, this is a job. And I have to do my job.”

“It’s a business,” Johnson told PennLive. “What did we start out with? Seven (edge rushers)? We were down to three this past game. You already kind of know they’re going to go get somebody.”

Even with Graham back, the Eagles might still go after more at edge rusher. General manager Howie Roseman making a trade before the Nov. 4 deadline certainly isn’t out of the question, especially with a handful of attractive options — Miami’s Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips and the Jets’ Jermaine Johnson, among others — seemingly available. 

Any additional reinforcements would affect Uche and Johnson’s snap counts even further. But for now, both players are putting their heads down and going to work. 

For Uche, his opportunity with the Eagles has been a lifeline. The 2020 second-round pick was traded by the Patriots to the Chiefs last October. But Uche hardly played with Kansas City, prompting him to leave via free agency and sign a one-year, prove-it deal with Philly. 

Uche has played well through seven games in an Eagles uniform. He has the highest Pro Football Focus defensive grade (88.3) on the team, producing 16 pressures and a sack.

“I’ve wanted to show that I have value,” Uche said. “I wasn’t the right fit for Kansas City, I guess. I’ve been able to get back on the field and show everybody that I can still play this game.”

Johnson finds himself in a different circumstance. The 2021 seventh-rounder was drafted by the Eagles and has spent the majority of his career in the background. The most snaps Johnson played in a season was 232 in 2022. But Johnson has never had back-to-back games where he was relied upon to play as much as he did in Weeks 6 and 7. 

“Which has been a lot of fun,” Johnson said. “I feel like I’m getting more comfortable. I feel like I’m getting into the groove of things.”

There’s a chance that groove is disrupted by Graham’s return and whoever else the Eagles might bring in. But Johnson understands the situation he’s in. 

“We kind of knew we needed a little bit of help,” Johnson said. “I’m just happy to see that BG is the guy they brought back.”

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