After recovering from a torn triceps, Brandon Graham is ready to play in the Super Bowl on Sunday for the Philadelphia Eagles.
“I’m feeling good,” Graham said on Monday during the NFL’s opening night. “I’m excited to be able to play in this game. Just enjoying the moment.”
Graham clarified that he still needs to make it through this week of practice without any issues before a final decision is made, but the Eagles’ defensive star from Super Bowl 52 looks set for a surprising return.
The 36-year-old Graham was expected to miss the rest of the season after suffering the triceps injury during a Nov. 24 game against the Los Angeles Rams. He was placed on injured reserve two days later, leading many to believe his career was over.
“When I got hurt, I saw it as a possibility,” he said. “I talked to people and they said it was a possibility. I rehabbed as hard as I could … So when the time came, they would give me the chance.”
That chance may come Sunday when the Eagles face off against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Graham was on the losing side of the Super Bowl two years ago against Kansas City, where he had little impact during his 18 defensive snaps due to a slippery field that made pass rushing difficult.
It was a different story five years earlier against New England, though, when Graham’s crucial strip-sack of Tom Brady in the fourth quarter stopped a Patriots comeback and helped the Eagles win their first Super Bowl.
That moment capped a 15-year career, with Graham setting an Eagles record for 215 games played in both the regular season and playoffs. His 82 total sacks rank third in franchise history.
Graham is one of just two position players remaining from the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning 2017 team.
His return could be a huge emotional boost for the team, but Graham hopes to contribute more than just that. He had 3 1/2 sacks in 11 games before his injury.
“If they didn’t feel like I could bring something, they wouldn’t waste their time activating me,” he said.
