Brandon Graham recently announced that he will retire from the NFL after 15 seasons. The star defensive end spent his entire career with the Philadelphia Eagles. Mike Florio describes Brandon Graham’s story as one marked by significant challenges and adversity, which he overcame to become the successful player he is today—a two-time Super Bowl champion and an Eagles legend.
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Graham got choked up during his press conference while announcing his retirement. He talked about how he gave everything to the city and the team and had no regrets. It was a powerful press conference that gave Graham the send-off he deserved.
But he wasn’t always viewed through rose-tinted glasses. In fact, at one point, he was considered a major bust. As Florio from ProFootballTalk reflected on Graham’s career, he highlighted the early struggles that Graham eventually overcame.
“He was the 13th pick in the 2010 draft out of Michigan. Was at first kind of a bust. He wasn’t a starter for several years but hung around, improved, and became a full-time starter,” Florio elaborated thoughtfully, before adding,
“He finishes with 15 seasons, tied for the most in franchise history. 206 regular season games played, the most in franchise history. 76.5 career sacks, third in franchise history. 23 forced fumbles, that’s second in franchise history.”
It’s indeed a remarkable journey. Not only did Graham finish atop the franchise’s record book, but he also ended up with two Lombardi trophies. Furthermore, he played a massive role in one of them. As Florio recounted, Graham got the strip sack on Tom Brady in Super Bowl 52, which ultimately sealed the deal, giving the Eagles their first Super Bowl in franchise history.
Graham’s Send Off
After the press conference, Graham was surprised with another Eagles gift. The team gathered every staff member into a room to surprise him as he left the building one final time.
They gave him a round of applause as Graham held one of his two Lombardi trophies high in the air. He then delivered a final thank-you speech, telling them he wasn’t going anywhere and would still be around from time to time—just not playing. To be fair, that’s completely understandable for the 36-year-old father of two.
It’s time for Graham to kick his feet up, relax, and enjoy watching the game rather than play it on Sundays. However, he does seem like the type who wants to be still involved in some capacity with the team. It’ll be interesting to see what he does with his free time. For the time being, though, he should consider taking a well-deserved break after a tough career in the NFL trenches.
