Brandon Graham’s contract with the Philadelphia Eagles is one of a number of complicated situations on their roster. Let’s take a look at the current status of Graham’s contract and his impact on the Eagles’ salary cap space in 2023.
Brandon Graham’s Contract Details
The origin of Graham’s current contract is a three-year deal worth $40 million that was signed in 2019. That deal contained a $12.5 million signing bonus as part of $27 million in guarantees. There were also two void years included in Graham’s contract, allowing the signing bonus to be prorated at $2.5 million a year between 2019 and 2023.
Philadelphia then restructured the deal in 2020, shifting $12.14 million into a signing bonus and adding another void year in 2024. That bonus was, therefore, prorated at $2.428 million per year between 2020 and 2024.
In 2021, the two sides worked together to agree on what was essentially a two-year contract worth $18.5 million. That deal contained a $9.925 million signing bonus, adding a further void year in 2025. The new signing bonus is prorated at $1.985 million per year between 2021 and 2025. It also made the 2023 year a “dummy” contract year rather than a situation where the deal was voided.
As a final step, the Eagles further restructured the deal in 2022. They gave Graham a $6.25 million signing bonus and added another void year in 2026. That allowed them to prorate the new bonus at $1.25 million per year between 2022 and 2026.
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All of these restructures have led to this point in 2023. The way the contract is built means that the Eagles have to release Graham this offseason, and by making 2023 a “dummy” year instead of a straight void year, they can do so as a post-June 1 release and save cap space in 2023. Here is the remaining prorated money that still exists on the deal:
- Signing Bonus: $2.5 million (2023)
- Restructure 1: $2.428 million (2023-2024)
Total Remaining: $4.856 million - Restructure 2: $1.985 million (2023-2025)
Total Remaining: $5.955 million - Restructure 3: $1.250 million (2023-2026)
Total Remaining: $5 million
If the Eagles were to release Graham with a pre-June 1 designation, then it would accelerate all the remaining money onto their cap in 2023. That would result in the Eagles having $18.311 million in dead money for Graham in 2023.
However, by doing it as a post-June 1 designation, they can spread that money. In that scenario, Graham would count for at least $8.163 million against the cap in 2023 and $10.148 million in 2024.
Graham’s Net Worth
There is a wide range of Graham’s net worth estimates. Those estimates spread from $1.5 million to around $30 million. Given that Graham’s NFL career earnings are $88.756 million to this point, it would seem more likely his net worth rests in the $25-30 million range than down below $10 million.