Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham told reporters on Wednesday that he'll be retiring following the 2024 season.
If there was any doubt…
— Brooks Kubena (@BKubena) July 24, 2024
Brandon Graham: “I know this is my last year.”
The Eagles selected Graham as the 13th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft and the one-time Pro Bowler has spent his entire career in Philadelphia. This will be his 15th season in City of Brotherly Love, making him the longest-tenured player in team history, according to a report by ESPN's Tim McManus.
After earning increased playing time over his first six seasons — which included a career-high four forced fumbles in 2014 — while making 23 starts, the Michigan product became a full-time player beginning in 2016.
Graham started all but one game over a five-year stretch from 2016-20, earning second team All-Pro honors at the beginning of the run and his lone Pro Bowl honor at the end of the timeframe. Graham registered a career-high 22 quarterback hits in 2016 but his biggest impact came during the 2017 season, particularly in Super Bowl LII against the New England Patriots.
After a regular season where he tied for his career-best with 15 tackles for loss and posted 14 quarterback hits and 9.5 sacks, the Detroit native had two hits on Patriots signal-caller Tom Brady in the big game. Graham forced a crucial fumble on a strip sack late in the fourth quarter to ice the Eagles' victory.
After his Pro Bowl 2020 campaign, he suffered a season-ending torn Achilles in Week 2 of the following year but bounced back big time in 2022.
Graham had a career-high 11.0 sacks two seasons ago, finished in fourth place in the AP Comeback Player of the Year voting and won a pair of NFC Defensive Player of the Week awards. Even as more of a complimentary player in 2023, playing just 34% of the team's defensive snaps, Graham finished last season six quarterback hits, four tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks.
The image of him forcing Brady to fumble will live forever in Eagles lore.
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