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After making one of the most memorable plays in team history — forcing a fumble in the final minutes of the Super Bowl — Graham spent the off-season recovering from ankle surgery. He was able to return, but missing training camp in 2018 clearly took a toll on the defensive end.
Graham still made plays during the following season, but his sack totals dropped from the previous one, and Graham admitted things were never quite right for him during the 2018 campaign.
"I gave them everything I had," he said. "But everything I had sometimes was just not as good as I would like it to be. This year, I feel like now I can really put in that work to make sure I'm in shape for that first preseason game and then by the first (regular season) game."
Graham is entering his 10th season in the NFL — all of which have been with the Eagles. Graham was a free agent at the end of last season, and there was speculation the team would let him walk. However, Graham re-signed with the Eagles, and he hopes to spend the rest of his career in Philadelphia.
The veteran said he's grateful the organization had enough faith in his abilities to bring him back.
"It did surprise me, honestly," Graham said. "I know how the Eagles are. They want to stay young. They keep some guys, but I was happy that they value me and be able to pass down some of the knowledge I have to the rookies.
"My biggest thing now is to make sure that I'm making plays on the field and make sure I continue to pass down what I know and what I've learned."
Graham anticipates helping the younger players while still producing at a high level this season. It wasn't long ago that he was learning from respected veterans like Trent Cole. Now, Graham realizes it is his responsibility to serve as one of the leaders on the line.
He added he wants the younger linemen to understand the importance of effort while learning on the fly.
"This is your time to make mistakes," he advised. "Sometimes you want to be perfect every day, and it's not perfect every day. What you can control is your effort. Make sure that's something that they don't have to tell you. They don't have to tell me that."
Perhaps someday, some of the rookies will be able to lead others the way Graham is guiding them. For now, his biggest priority will be helping the Eagles make another Super Bowl run. Unlike last year, Graham is healthy and expecting to go at full speed when the regular season gets underway.
"We can just focus on getting in shape together," Graham said. "I was kind of behind and trying to get in shape when the season was here already. Some people were already in shape. Now I feel like with all of us being out there, we can all just keep going up together."