NFL news: Eagles great, two-time Super Bowl champ Brandon Graham hangs up his cleats

By Geoffrey Latayan

Two-time Super Bowl champion Brandon Graham retired on Tuesday after playing 15 seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles. 

The 36-year-old veteran thanked the Eagles organization, his coaches, his teammates and his family during a news conference to formalize his retirement from American football.

“I gave everything I had, everything I had in this,” said Graham, who pulled off a strip sack on seven-time champion Tom Brady in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XII that helped Philadelphia Eagles win its first NFL title in the Super Bowl era. 

“I don’t have any regrets.”

From the ashes to the trenches of the Linc

Graham, who was picked in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft, mentioned the struggles he had during his time with the Eagles, especially in pleasing the hometown fans, who earlier labeled him as a “bust.”

“Through the struggles, the injuries and the moments where I had to prove myself over and over again, you never let me feel comfortable. You held me accountable,” he said.

“You kept that chip on my shoulder. You pushed me to be better, and when the time came, we celebrated together – two times,” said the defensive end, who retired as the Eagles’ all-time leader in games played with 206 and ranked third in sacks (76 1/2) behind Trent Cole and Reggie White.

He will leave with the title of the all-time Eagles leader in postseason sacks with 5 1/2.

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Return from injury

Returning from torn triceps in Super Bowl LIX against the formidable Kansas City Chiefs, Graham, who is one of only four players who participated in both of Philadelphia’s Super Bowl wins, could have retired with one Super Bowl win after tearing his triceps in the middle of the 2024-25 season.

But the Eagles continued winning without him and when they punched the Super Bowl ticket with a win over the Washington Commanders in the NFC championship, he was ready for another ring.

He got on the field for 13 snaps and made one tackle in the 40-22 win and re-tore his triceps in the game.

“I was happy to be able to make it back, to play with my guys, put that uniform on one last time at a big moment on a big stage,” Graham said.

The veteran defensive end praised his teammates for helping him from his rookie season to winning two Super Bowls.

“We fought and we fought hard,” he said. “We celebrated the highs and endured the losses and through it all we built something that can never be taken away: two championships. Two of them. We made history together.”  

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