Brandon Graham closed the chapter on his storied Eagles and NFL career on Tuesday after 15 years. The one-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion retired with 11 pass deflections, 23 forced fumbles, 7 fumble recoveries, 76.5 sacks, and 485 tackles.
Once the Eagles made a social media post regarding his announcement, speculation filled the air as to what Graham’s announcement would be about. And upon his announcement, there was an effusive outpouring of love, congratulatory messages, and praises that deluged the media space.
At the news conference, Brandon Graham was flanked on either side by two Vince Lombardi Trophies, as he summed up his journey of fifteen years in a 10-minute retirement speech.
“Fifteen years ago, I walked into this city as a young man with dreams, big dreams, a little bit of nervousness and a whole lot of fire in my heart. I had no idea back then what this journey would bring. I didn’t know how many times I would be tested. I didn’t know how much I would grow. And I truly didn’t know how deeply I would fall in love with these fans and the team and this city.”
Present at the presser was Super Bowl LIX MVP, Jalen Hurts with his fiancee, Bry Burrows, to honor the man who holds the record for the most seasons spent with the franchise. Lane Johnson and Fletcher Cox were also in attendance.
Eagles’ Reactions
Saquon Barkley, who capped off his debut season with the Eagles with a Super Bowl win and spent just a year with Brandon Graham, posted a picture featuring himself and Graham on his Instagram story, adding emojis of an eagle, a dark heart, and a raised fist to the caption:
“Incredible teammate, incredible person. Congrats on an amazing career BG! Forever a champion.”
Eagles outside linebacker Jalyx Hunt was also appreciative of Graham, who was extremely helpful in his rookie season.
“BG has meant the world to me. He is himself 100% of the time, which is something I really appreciate about him, especially in this line of business,” he said.
“You run into some people who aren’t always genuine. But he himself is just — you’re going to get BG good, BG bad, BG upset, sad, he’s all going to be the same. He’s all going to be genuine. Not only have I learned so much from him football-wise, I’ve learned so much outside of football.”
Graham also had his former teammates shower him with love and good wishes. Fellow former defensive linemen, Chris Long, and former safety, Rodney McLeod didn’t let the moment pass them by.
Chris Long was succinct in his message on X.
“Congrats on retirement BG! You’re a legend.”
Rodney McLeod, on his X handle, wrote,
“Legends live on forever! BG spirit is unmatched and lives through everyone he’s encountered. Enjoy the next chapter bro”
Zach Ertz, who won the Super Bowl with Graham in 2018 and now plays for the Washington Commanders, wrote on X that Graham is a “legend.”
“Truly a great football player but there will never be another teammate like BG! Enjoy retirement my guy!” Ertz wrote.
In a statement released by the Eagles, American businessman and Eagles owner, Jeffrey Lurie, appreciated Graham for his time with the team.
“Without question, Brandon Graham is the embodiment of everything you would want in a Philadelphia Eagle. He’s a special player and a special person. It’s only fitting that he has played in more games than anyone else in the history of our franchise,” Lurie wrote..
“The positive energy he brought was infectious. Whether it was a practice, a game, or just walking around the building. Anyone who has had the pleasure of interacting with him would tell you that it’s impossible to have a bad day after being in his presence. Make no mistake, he was also a tough, physical, and talented player who has played an integral role in the success we’ve had over the years.”
While others shared congratulatory wishes and lovely messages, Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson’s post was rather touching, following the retirement of his longtime teammate.
Johnson took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his emotional message, posting a GIF of Will Smith from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air standing alone in an empty room, and captioning the post with, “Don’t worry I got y’all!” while tagging Graham, along with previously retired Eagles legends Fletcher Cox and Jason Kelce.
The message of the four-time Pro Bowl tackle was clear, as he remains the only active player from a group that was considered the team’s foundational quartet. The tagged players: Kelce, Graham and Cox, all spent their entire NFL careers in Philadelphia, with Johnson also looking to replicate this feat.
Johnson then tweeted a more explicit message on X
“Brothers for life. Competed against each other every single day,” Johnson wrote.
“Gonna miss you in that locker room @brandongraham55. Well-deserved retirement BG.”
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
