The Philadelphia Eagles' defense helped carry them to a Super Bowl appearance. Defensive end Brandon Graham was a huge part of that group.

Last season, Graham recorded a career-best 11.0 sacks. He had one sack in the 2022 postseason versus the New York Giants.

Graham's Eagles dominated the Giants (38-7) and the San Francisco 49ers (31-7) in the playoffs before they lost in the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs. After the game, 49ers offensive player Deebo Samuel said he felt like San Francisco was the better team. Graham told Rob Ellis and Derrick Gunn of “JAKIB Sports” that reaction from Samuel and other 49ers is something he wanted his team to learn from after its Super Bowl loss.

“…That was part of my speech,” Graham said. “I was like, ‘Look, y'all,' don't be that. Go out there and give them they credit. Don't make no excuses. Let's leave out on a classy note because we going to get this back and we going to do this together next year.'”

The Eagles led 24-14 at halftime in Super Bowl LVII, but Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs roared back for a 38-35 win. Philadelphia won Super Bowl LII, which was its first championship as a team since 1960, before the AFL and NFL merger in 1970.

The 49ers have not won a Super Bowl since 1994. Graham said he understood why the team would be frustrated.

“I know the 49ers just going through it,” Graham said. “That's not the way to handle it, because it look like you just bitter about that situation.

“You definitely got to control them emotions. Control them emotions every day, when you dealing with this job.”

The Eagles will look to make it back to the Super Bowl this season. The 49ers hope to end their title drought, too.