Brandon Graham said after last season ended that he wanted one more season as a sort of farewell tour before he retired.

The Eagles made it happen Saturday, re-signing the Eagles' longest-tenured player to a one-year contract.

By doing so, Graham, who turns 36 next month, will become the longest-tenured player in team history by playing in his 15th season, breaking the mark he shared with legend Chuck Bednarik. He'll also extend his games-played record.

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Graham has played in 195 games, a record he passed last season. He has played two more games than Jason Kelce, who announced his retirement earlier this week.

"I can't wait to just go out there and take it all in for my last go around," Graham told the Eagles' website Saturday.

Back in January, Graham said he wanted to come back for one more season.

"It would be my farewell tour next year," he said. "If the Eagles want me to do it one more time, I would love to be here for another year because I know we got something special. It’ll be Year 15, my farewell tour."

But the Eagles needed Graham for more than nostalgic reasons.

The NFL Network reported Saturday that the Eagles are having trade talks about edge rusher Josh Sweat. They were already looking into trading edge rusher Haason Reddick. They were the Eagles leaders in sacks last season as Reddick had 11 and Sweat 6½

Graham, thus, would provide depth if one or both are traded. The Eagles also have Nolan Smith returning after a rookie season in which he had just one sack in limited playing time. Smith, one of the Eagles' two first-round picks last season (No. 30 overall), will clearly have a much bigger role in 2024.

Graham played more of a reserve role last season, and it would be a lot to ask for him to play much more than the 34% of the snaps he played in 2023. Graham had just three sacks.

Both the sacks and playing time were his lowest since 2013. That's not counting the 2021 season when Graham played in only two games because of a torn Achilles. Still, Graham is just one year removed from his career-high of 11 sacks, when he played 43% of the snaps.

But the Eagles can't count on that production again, even if both Sweat and Reddick leave. The Eagles will most likely be active in free agency at edge rusher, and possibly select one early in the draft.

The Eagles pick No. 22 in the first round, and they have two second-round picks (No. 50 and 53).

But Graham can help, not only on the field, but as a mentor to Smith especially. As a former first-round pick, Graham dealt with the negative perception when he struggled through much of his early years with the Eagles.

In the summer of 2015, Graham was convinced he was going to be released. But a torn ACL suffered by Travis Long later that summer most likely saved his roster spot. Graham became a full-time starter the following season and hasn't looked back.

Graham, of course, is most known and revered by Eagles fans for his strip-sack of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in the final minutes of the Super Bowl to preserve the Eagles' 41-33 win in February 2018.

It was something Kelce mentioned in his retirement speech as one of his most memorable moments during his 13-year Eagles career.

" ... And Brandon Graham finding a way to stop Tom Brady once, literally once," Kelce said.

Graham has done so much more during his career. He's fourth in team history with 73 sacks, 3½ away from passing Clyde Simmons in third place, behind only Reggie White (124) and Trent Cole (85½).

But mostly Graham said in January that he wants to keep playing because he still enjoys it, despite the Eagles' 1-6 collapse to end the season.

"I had fun this year," he said in January. "It’s just, the last month and a half, and even (in the playoff game), everything that was happening happened in a big way. ... But we’ll be better next year. ... I know this organization is going to get it right. I know the fans are mad right now, but what are we going to do about it?"

For his part, Graham will be around to find out.

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Eagles Brandon Graham signs 1-year deal amid Reddick, Sweat trade rumors