The Philadelphia Eagles have one goal in mind this offseason — keep the pieces that have made them one of the best teams in the NFL over the past few years. To that end, the Eagles want to keep veteran defensive end Brandon Graham, and for a second, it seemed as though it was already a certainty that he would after one source indicated that Graham would be back on a new contract and that he will not be hitting the open market.

However, there seems to be a bit of uncertainty at the moment despite the mutual interest between Graham and the Eagles to get a deal done. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, there is no agreement yet between the two sides, although Rapoport reiterated that there is a chance that a deal could come prior to the start of free agency.

In the aftermath of Jason Kelce’s retirement, the Eagles will not want to bid farewell to yet another franchise lifer in Brandon Graham in the same offseason. He may not be the player he once was, as he has moved into more of a supporting role on the team’s defense, but Graham is important in setting the team’s culture and providing the team with veteran mettle.

One of the best things about Graham is that he rarely misses games. He suited up in all of the Eagles’ 18 games last season (including the postseason), heeding the call on the defensive end when need be. Aside from two injury-riddled seasons, Graham’s track record when it comes to staying healthy is pristine.

Brandon Graham, once he does sign his inevitable contract with the Eagles this offseason (barring an unforeseen turn of events), will likely be in the final year of his career. Back in January, reports came out that Graham wanted to return for a farewell tour; perhaps he wants to wash away the lingering stench of Philadelphia’s putrid end to last season to end his career on a much better note.

Whatever the case may be, Graham has had a long, fruitful career, as he played a huge role in the Eagles’ Super Bowl 52 triumph.