Eagles’ Graham Officially Retires After 15 Seasons

One of the most legendary players in Eagles’ history is going out on top and on his own terms. Longtime Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham is hanging up his cleats and has retired after 15 NFL seasons.

Graham, 36 years-of-age, made the announcement during a Tuesday news conference, saying he leaves the game with “no regrets.”

“You all know I gave everything I had in this,” said Graham, his voice cracking as he began to well up with emotion. “I don’t have no regrets.

“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’d be tested, I didn’t know how much I would grow, and I sure didn’t know how deeply I would fall in love with these fans and the team and this city.”

The No. 13 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft out of the University of Michigan, Graham played his entire career with one team, in Philadelphia, helping the Eagles win two Super Bowls.

“I could not be happier with the way my career played out, the love I’ve gotten, and the success the Eagles have had as an organization,” Graham said. “For real, it has been a dream come true.”

His final NFL game saw the Eagles demolish the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX in February, a game that featured Graham returning to the lineup after suffering a torn triceps injury on November 24.

It was in Graham’s first Super Bowl with the Eagles where he secured his place as a franchise legend.

During Super Bowl LII against the New England Patriots, Graham strip-sacked the G.O.A.T. Tom Brady with Philadelphia up by five, 38-33, just before the two-minute warning. The Eagles recovered the ball and ended up adding a field goal on their way to a 41-33 victory.

Not only did he win his first Super Bowl to earn some jewelry, but Graham also took home another piece of memorabilia from that night.

“I got the Brady ball. I got the ball I stripped from him,” Graham said ahead of Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.

That elevated Graham to icon status in the ‘City of Brotherly Love’ Philly and marked the peak of his turnaround after he was labeled a bust early in his career following a slow start largely due to injuries.

Graham had a huge smile on his face when he was reminded of the play.

“That’s always going to be a good one. A Michigan guy against another Michigan guy,” he said. “It was a big moment in my career, and that’s where I felt like things started to get even better from that point on.”

Along with being a two-time Super Bowl champion, Graham was also a Second-team All-Pro in 2016 and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2020. He puts a bow on his career with 206 games played, most all-time in franchise history, 76.5 career sacks and 475 total tackles.

Eagles’ owner Jeffrey Lurie complemented Graham for the “many memorable moments” he gave to the franchise and their fans.

“Brandon Graham is the embodiment of everything you want in a Philadelphia Eagle,” Lurie said in a statement. “…It was the way he played the game and the way he carried himself that earned him the love and respect of his coaches, teammates and fans.”