Eagles Legend Brandon Graham Breaks Silence on Stunning Return to Philly
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Brandon Graham is coming back to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Brandon Graham is coming home.
The Philadelphia Eagles star defensive lineman announced his return to the team on his podcast “Unblocked” on Monday.
Graham had been reportedly mulling a return to the Eagles after retiring following the Eagles’ 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX — he re-tore his triceps muscle in that game.
The Eagles (5-2) are in first place in the NFC East despite a largely uneven start to the season, especially defensively. They have just a plus-5 point differential and are allowing 23.6 points-against per game, which ranks 20th in the NFL.
Brandon Graham Is Returning To The Eagles Because He ‘Believes In The Team’
Graham is a franchise icon who has played all 15 — now 16 seasons — in Philadelphia. Part of his decision to return hinged on the fact the Eagles are still very much in win-now mode.
“Of course I believe in this team. That’s a big part of this too,” Graham said on “Unblocked” on Tuesday. “I know that they got everything that they need, so I just can’t wait to add a little more value.”
Graham admitted he had felt forced into retirement after the injury — he had torn his triceps in Week 12 against the Los Angeles Rams then re-tore it against the Chiefs. He said he stayed away from the team during training camp because he was missing the team — especially knowing he could still play.
So coming back and potentially closing the book on his terms was a big part of the decision to return.
Graham also said staying in Philadelphia — which selected him 13th overall in 2010 — was important to him. So when general manager Howie Roseman came to Graham at the start of the season and asked him to consider coming back, Graham began to think about it.
“I said ‘nah, I ain’t ready yet,'” Graham said. “He ended up signing Za’Darius [Smith], and I had started praying about it … and he retired abruptly, and I just saw it as a sign.
“It was crazy, man. I don’t know what this is going to be. I don’t have no expectations. But I’m just gonna come and bring myself and bring the energy.”
Brandon Graham Is Healthy
We’ll find out this week if Graham will be able to play Sunday at home against the New York Giants. But his triceps is not an issue, at least according to him.
“Rehab was good,” Graham said. “Now it feels like a brand-new arm.”
Graham rushed back for the Super Bowl yet took his time — eight months — to recover and get healthy. He said injuring his triceps twice was a new experience and that coming back in just 2.5 months was a mistake — even though he doesn’t regret the decision to play.
“I guess I was just a little too early [coming back],” Graham said. “I’m still thankful I was able to get into that Super Bowl. I wouldn’t have changed it, even knowing there was a possibility I could’ve [gotten injured again]. I just wanted to be a part of it.”
Cowboys Trade Proposal Lands Defensive Help From Browns in Form of 68 Game Starter
Around the NFL, there are a few teams the Dallas Cowboys will have to be looking at in hopes of them trading some of their veteran talent to Dallas. The Cowboys are in a position to be buyers now, and with the apparent help needed on the defensive side of the football, it’ll be intriguing to see what Jerry Jones has in mind.
When considering potential trade options for the Cowboys to pursue, Mauricio Rodriguez of A to Z Sports proposed a trade idea involving the Cowboys trading for Devin Bush of the Cleveland Browns, a 27-year-old linebacker.
“Bush is in my opinion the most underrated Cowboys’ trade target there is. Even with DeMarvion Overshown targeting a Week 11 return, Dallas needs to upgrade its linebacker room. Bush would cost very little — a Day 3 late pick swap would do it per Browns expert Brandon Little — and he’s been a solid run stopper for the Browns. Plus, he hasn’t been a liability in coverage,” he wrote.
Cowboys Have the Assets to Make a Trade
While a trade seems obvious for the Dallas Cowboys, considering they’re in second place in the NFC East, Jones understands that a lot goes into his decisions.
He believes the Cowboys have some of the best draft capital they’ve had in a long time and doesn’t want to waste it unless the team is in a legitimate position to win a Super Bowl.
“Just because we played well, all of a sudden everybody thinks, boy, you’re in the hunt, so it’s time to go out and gather up all of this talent that’s waiting around out here on the trees to add to it now that we feel good that we can be more competitive,” Jones said in an appearance on “105.3 The Fan.” “That’s not realistic.
“What’s realistic is that if we do see an opportunity, we are in as good a shape as we’ve been in in years with (draft) picks, with financial, with our (salary) cap,” he added. “We’re in as good of shape as we’ve ever been if we see a way to improve our team with a player that makes sense today, this year, next year to entertain it and look at it.”
Browns Might Not Be Ready to Sell
Regarding what the Cleveland Browns plan to do, while it seemed like the team would certainly be sellers, and help the Dallas Cowboys and other contenders around the league out, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, it sounds like the ideal plan for the Browns might not be to sell.
While they could move on from some veterans like Bush, she mentioned the potential of buying in a buyer’s market.
“Ideally, the Browns would like to buy a couple of players; they’re in the buyers market right now and they would like to add a couple of players,” Cabot wrote. “I don’t think they are looking to sell very many players unless they have like a veteran on the decline or a veteran who’s been around for a long time who could go help another team and they could get something for him.”
If that is the case, it’s possible that Bush won’t be available. He’s had a year with 31 tackles and one sack.
