Brandon Graham’s time with the Philadelphia Eagles started with people criticizing him as a first-round draft pick that didn’t live up to expectations, but it ended with him becoming one of the most loved players in the team’s history.
Graham announced his retirement on Tuesday after 15 years with the Eagles, a career that was highlighted by his key role in the defensive play that helped the Eagles win their first Super Bowl title.
“I gave everything I had, everything I had in this,” Graham said. “I don’t have no regrets.”
The 37-year-old thanked the team, his coaches, teammates, and family during an emotional news conference where he shared his decision to retire.
He talked about the long journey it took for him to win over the demanding Philadelphia fans. He went from being mostly a backup with only 17 sacks in his first five seasons to becoming an important part of a dominant defensive line later in his career.
Graham shared that it was hard even to leave the house early in his career when he was labeled a “bust,” but he was glad he pushed through and spent his entire career with Philadelphia.
“We didn’t start so tight, as you know,” he told the fans. “You made me work for this and I appreciate you for that. Through the struggles, the injuries and the moments where I had to prove myself over and over again, you never let me feel comfortable.
You held me accountable. You kept that chip on my shoulder. You pushed me to be better, and when the time came, we celebrated together — two times.”
Graham, who was drafted in the first round out of Michigan in 2010, finished his career as the all-time leader in games played for the Eagles with 206. He is third on the list with 76 1/2 sacks and has the most postseason sacks with 5 1/2.
He is also one of only four players who played in both of Philadelphia’s Super Bowl victories
The 2017 win against New England and the 2023 win against Kansas City.
Graham came back from a torn triceps to play in the Super Bowl against the Chiefs. He played 13 snaps, made one tackle in the Eagles’ 40-22 win, and re-injured his triceps during the game.
While Graham had hinted that last season would be his last, referring to it as his “farewell tour,” he said Tuesday that he might have tried to return for one more season if he hadn’t gotten to play in the Super Bowl.
Brandon Graham in the Super Bowl 59 Opening Night“I was happy to be able to make it back, to play with my guys, put that uniform on one last time at a big moment on a big stage,” he said.
He had a much bigger impact in the Super Bowl win against the Patriots, when Graham’s strip-sack of Tom Brady late in the fourth quarter stopped a potential comeback and helped the Eagles win their first Lombardi Trophy.
“It was a big moment in my career,” he said. “That’s where I felt like things started to get even better from that point on. … That’s something I will always remember.”
Graham’s career began under coach Andy Reid and continued under Chip Kelly, Doug Pederson, and Nick Sirianni. He was a key part of the defensive line for a team built on strong play in the trenches.
He only had one season with double-digit sacks — 11 in 2022 when he helped the Eagles reach the Super Bowl — but was a steady force of pressure throughout his career.
He made the Pro Bowl in 2020, was a second-team All-Pro in 2016, and was fourth in the voting for AP Comeback Player of the Year in 2022 when he returned from a ruptured Achilles tendon to have a great season as a pass rusher.
Graham had just 6 1/2 sacks in his final two seasons but ends his career as a two-time Super Bowl champion.
“We fought and we fought hard,” he said about his teammates. “We celebrated the highs and endured the losses and through it all we built something that can never be taken away: two championships. Two of them. We made history together.”
