Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham is revealing why he wanted to stay in the NFL, and not opt for retirement. Graham announced he wanted to keep playing and the team wanted him to stay, per CBS Sports.

“I did it because, I always wanted to get to 15 (years in the NFL). I’m happy that the team wanted me one more year…It’s important to me because Ray Lewis was one of the guys I looked up to (as a player); to see him do it the way he did it (staying with one team for 17 seasons) was nice…but I’m done after this,” Graham said, per CBS Sports.

Graham has been one of the best pass rushers on the team for the last several years. He has 14 sacks the last two seasons, including 11 in the 2022 campaign. Graham has played in the city of brotherly love since the 2010 season. His entire NFL career has been spent with the Eagles. The defensive end says he is confident the team can finish better in 2024 than they did last year. He is placing his bets on the team's executive vice president Howard Roseman to get the right combo together.

“Because I know Howie (Roseman); I trust him. We got the players, it’s just about making sure we got the whole collective. I’m excited…I know when we have a bad season, Howie always does a good job of coming back,” Graham added.

The Eagles had a promising start to the 2023 season, but limped down the stretch. The team lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Playoffs, failing to reach the Super Bowl for a second consecutive year. The team lost the championship in the 2022 season to the Kansas City Chiefs.

If this is Graham's final year, fans are sure that he will make it one to remember.