Eagles Legend Reveals Moment He Knew He Would Retire

The Philadelphia Eagles won’t be the exact same in 2025.

Philadelphia has obviously lost some pieces in free agency but even more so the team lost of it its emotional leaders. Brandon Graham announced his retirement from the National Football League after 15 years in Philadelphia.

It was a rollercoaster of a year for Graham that featured great play early on, a seemingly season-ending injury, and a triumphant return to the field in the Super Bowl. He is truly a team legend.

He will missed for his play on the field, but his presence in the locker room arguably will be missed even more. 

How does one know when to call it a career? ESPN’s Tim McManus chronicled Graham’s final season in an extensive and great piece. One interesting nugget from the story was the fact that Graham knew it would be the end of his career in his exit meeting with Howie Roseman.

"It wasn't until his exit meeting with general manager Howie Roseman a week before the start of free agency that Graham knew for sure that he would be stepping away from the game," McManus said.

"Howie said, 'Man, this is such a fairy-tale ending for you. But I'm going to let you decide on what you want to do.' I was like, 'Man, you know what? It's over. ... My prayer was pretty much said to me in a way to go ahead and retire.'"

The team gave him space to make the important decision. It’s sad that he won’t be back in 2025, but he has hinted that he doesn’t want to be far. Graham already said he wants to meet with owner Jeffrey Lurie to find a way to stick around in the organization.