Inside Brandon Graham’s decision to come back to Eagles

PHILADELPHIA — Brandon Graham entered the locker room at the NovaCare Complex ready to congregate with the hordes of media surrounding his locker. Entering his 16th season in the NFL, Graham walked over and smiled before taking his first comments. 

“Ya’ll ain’t gonna let me take my pads off first!,” Graham said with his infectious smile.

Graham waited a long time to have that scrum swarmed around his locker, one day after announcing he was coming back to play for the Eagles for another season. The vibe around the locker room had some extra pep with Graham coming back, as players across the locker room could hear Graham’s voice all over the practice field.

It didn’t take long for Graham to do what he does best.

“I don’t feel too far off honestly,” Graham said of his first practice back with the Eagles. “I feel good. Now, it’s just about being able to talk my trash and work. After like four plays I was like, oh yeah, let me get out and [talk my trash], it’s over with.”

Back like he never left 

Even though Graham retired in March, the seeds were planted for him to return at some point. Graham thought he still had some “juice” left, knowing he wasn’t done with the game he’s dedicated his whole life to. Hard to blame Graham, considering the way last season was going before his triceps injury. 

Graham was having a strong season before tearing his triceps last November, leading him to be out for the rest of the season — unless the Eagles made Super Bowl LIX. The Eagles did make Super Bowl LIX and Graham was able to play 13 snaps before tearing his triceps again.

That was it, right? Graham was going to walk off a Super Bowl champion and never look back. 

“That storybook can still be there, but reality set in,” Graham said. “I still had the urge. I felt like I was still on my game last year. Still felt like I could help the team. If I didn’t feel like that, I wouldn’t be back. Howie [Eagles general manager Howie Roseman] wouldn’t have picked me up if that wasn’t the case.”

Graham had the urge to play another season, yet was okay if it wasn’t meant to be. He still went to the NovaCare Complex and worked out like he would if he was still playing, just in case if that call came. Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was also in Graham’s ear about returning, giving him subtle hints he wanted him back. 

“He kept hitting me up, he kept sending me videos and stuff. It was cool,” Graham laughed. “He’d be like, you know how you can change this, because my locker room was in the staff locker room, he’d be like are you sure you like this locker? The other locker has more space.”

If there was pressure coming for a return, it wasn’t from Graham. He was going to wait until the Eagles called him, biding his time and working out at the NovaCare Complex in case the phone rang. 

Not long after Za’Darius Smith abruptly retired last week, opportunity arose. 

“I wanted to stay on the (workout) schedule while I’m still doing media and all that. I knew after this season if I wasn’t coming back, I would have took some time away after that,” Graham said. “I was just getting used to not playing and I got that call, and of course I wanted to entertain it. 

“I felt like I had some juice left.”

Was Graham really retired?

Graham was on the reserve/retirement list by the NFL, yet his former and future teammates couldn’t tell the difference. Seen frequently with Jason Kelce working out in the NovaCare Complex, Graham would pop his head in with the players and check in on them.

The Eagles never specified a role they had for Graham, and Graham wasn’t really sure what he exactly wanted to do either outside of media opportunities. He was hoping the Eagles didn’t need him, which is why Graham retired in the first place. 

Rest assured, Graham did want to come back. 

“I walk in, he’s watching film just like us,” said Eagles pass rusher Joshua Uche. “I just felt like football is one thing that I feel like BG can never get away from. 

“Being retired I figured he’d be a coach or something, so when he wasn’t coaching I’m, like, all right, something might be up.”

Graham even admitted he got advice from Kelce and Fletcher Cox about how the body changes after the football days are done, making sure you keep the routine going in case there was a chance at returning. Kelce was done with football and so was Cox — but Graham wasn’t. 

Whether it was lifting or working on football-related stuff, Graham made sure he stayed ready in case the Eagles called him. If he wasn’t doing that, he was helping out the Eagles’ players. Potentially getting ready for a post-playing career. 

“He’s someone whose always gonna be around the game,” Uche said. “But he was doing those podcasts, commentating, so he was around the game, but I feel like he’s hands on so to get him back on the field with us, back in the room with us it’s just like having a second coach, too, right there helping everybody out.”

A new ending

Graham had everything he needed to cap off a football career. Already having a Super Bowl ring and making arguably the greatest play in franchise history (strip sack of Tom Brady), Graham walked off the field in Super Bowl LIX a champion. 

Two Super Bowl rings and having your final game end up in a championship. What could be better? 

“When you think about it. When Tom Brady and all them boys came back you still say he got seven rings. He’s still gonna tell the story,” Graham said. “So it was like man, if I still feel like I can play, why not?”

Graham still has that legacy incorporated with the Eagles franchise. That isn’t going away because he wanted to play football for a 16th season. 

A 5-2 start and a chance to repeat certainly helped make the decision to return easier. 

“I feel like we got a good team, too,” Graham said. “That’s another thing. If the team wasn’t good I’d be like I’m sorry, I gotta go. But do feel like we have an opportunity of a lifetime right now with these people on the team, how we’ve done a great job putting this team together. 

“I still feel like I have a duty to come in here and help. Because I still feel like I have some juice left.”

The way the Eagles keep winning, Graham may be back for year 17, too.