As Brandon Graham retired from the Philadelphia Eagles, reactions have begun to fly in from everywhere. Most notably, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie put out a long statement on X (formerly Twitter) about the retirement.
The message included Graham's accomplishments, how he was as a teammate, and a leader off of the field. As he played his last game in Super Bowl LIX, his final game ended with a Super Bowl ring.
Now, he gets to retire and have the acknowledgment fly in from all places. He's been a Pro Bowler, as well as a two-time Super Bowl champion.
While the statistics don't indicate a quality career, Graham embodied what it means to be a part of the Eagles. He had plenty of opportunities to join other teams in free agency.
However, he stuck true to the franchise and reaped the rewards. He has two Super Bowl wins to his name and three trips in total. Fifteen seasons with one team is impressive and is unheard of in sports nowadays.
In 2022, Graham was fourth in the Comeback Player of the Year voting after posting 11 sacks. Interestingly enough, that was a career-high for him. It proved that age is simply just a number for the defensive end.
Jeffrey Lurie is thankful for Brandon Graham on the Eagles
Having someone who embodies a team's culture is incredibly hard to find. Luckily for Lurie, he found that when the Eagles drafted Graham with the 13th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.
The Michigan football standout had an amazing final two seasons. In his junior year, he led the Big Ten conference with 20 tackles for loss. Then in his senior year, he led the country with 26 tackles for loss.
As a defensive lineman, that is beyond impressive. In seven of nine seasons in the NFL, Graham had double-digit numbers in tackles for loss.
Even though Graham's career comes to a close, the Eagles will expect another Super Bowl appearance and another Super Bowl win.
Lurie will take this time to enjoy the gritty elements that his defensive end brought to his organization for nearly two decades. Who knows, the Eagles could find their next Graham in the 2025 NFL Draft.
However, his presence within the team and the community will be missed dearly by many. Still, his impact will loom large and the love he has for the city will never fade away.
Praises will keep flying in and recognizing Graham for having one of the most consistent careers in the NFL.