Was Super Bowl LIX Brandon Graham's last NFL game? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
NEW ORLEANS — Brandon Graham sat in his locker stall amid a sea of celebration late Sunday night in the Superdome. The Eagles had just won Super Bowl LIX, crushing the Kanas City Chiefs 40-22.
Graham was still in full uniform as music played and beer sprayed. And he wasn’t ready to contemplate his future.
Was that Graham’s final NFL game?
“I ain’t there yet,” Graham said. “I’m just going to enjoy this one. And who knows, man, Howie (Roseman) might call me.
“But, you know what, if it is my last one, hell of a way to go out. I feel thankful. And I ain’t going nowhere. I’m going to be a part of the organization somehow.”
After mentioning that Roseman might call him, the 36-year-old cackled — you know his signature laugh. But it’s not funny to think about the Eagles wanting Graham back for another season because before tearing his triceps in November, the longest-tenured Eagles player was performing at a high level.
Graham always had the goal of playing 15 seasons in the NFL and he entered Year 15 in 2024 with the expectation that this would be his final season. But then he played well, and then he tore his triceps on Nov. 24 in November.
At the time, Graham declared that his season was over. But just 11 weeks after that injury, Graham miraculously suited up and played in Super Bowl LIX.
“You know what, it took everybody,” Graham said. “Me choosing to work every day, the strength staff, the training staff, everybody working together to believe in the dream of me coming back. And then obviously we had to get here and I’m proud of the team because everybody stuck together, everybody stepped up in a big way. And now, man, we’re the world champions and can’t nobody take it away.”
Graham, a 2010 first-round pick, has played more seasons and games than any other Eagles player in franchise history. And he now has two Super Bowl titles as well. He’s a legendary figure in Philadelphia.
His teammates know it too.
As Graham made his rounds in the locker room party, his second-year defensive end teammate Nolan Smith hugged him and let everyone know: “The OG! Two rings!”
If that was it for Brandon Graham, it was an incredible career.
“Man, I’m so thankful right now,” Graham said. “It still ain’t all the way hit me. We just having so much fun and so much stuff going on. I just can’t wait to get out these pads so I can put these clothes on and then we can really go party.”
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