Philadelphia Eagles: Brandon Graham is finally recognized for his talent

Philadelphia Eagles fans are going to love seeing B.G. get some shine.

We may just have to reserve ourselves to the idea that, for longtime Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham, NFL superstardom will never be his destination. It’s not because he doesn’t deserve it because he does. he’s possibly had one of the greatest Eagles careers that no one talks about.

To be honest, there isn’t any real explanation as to why he shouldn’t live there already, but as years just keep going by, more and more, “55” is forgotten about whenever one of those rankings of the top players in the game drop. It seems like we’re always working the “snub” angle when he’s a part of the discussion.

Does he complain? No, he doesn’t. He just suits up. He does the dirty work, he watches as he’s left off of the Pro Bowl roster and the All-Pro team, minus that Second-team All-Pro nod that he got in 2016 of course.

Graham has racked up 54.5 sacks and 380 tackles including 93 stops that have resulted in a loss of yardage in 150 career games. That includes the playoffs, and it includes 92 professional starts, all of which have been in an Eagles jersey.

He’s the author of the most famous strip-sack in the history of football’s biggest game, the Super Bowl, yet the recognition never seems to be there when people are discussing pro football’s biggest difference-makers.

Then, there’s this. He just turned 33 years old in April. 2020 might be his last season with the Eagles. He’s aging, and though he’s still one of the best players on this team, he’s definitely on the downside of his career. If he hasn’t been celebrated to this point, you have to wonder if he ever will be.

Philadelphia Eagles fans love their underdogs, and recently, one of their largest got his due.

Love them or hate them, we can’t stop looking at what they have to say.  Pro Football Focus has people talking with a Top 50 ranking they’ve done. On May’s final Saturday, “B.G.” was given some shine. He cracks PFF’s list at number 49. Take a look.

Even in that, there’s been a negative reaction, but that’s only been from people outside of the Eagles fan base. There isn’t anyone aligning themselves with the “Birds” that’s unaware of everything this guy does for his team. PFF also added him to their list of the 101 best players from 2010 to 2019 at number 42. Here’s a quote.

"Perennially underrated because he doesn’t generate the same sack totals as some of the other pass-rushers in football, Brandon Graham has nevertheless pressured the quarterback like few other players over the past decade. He owns two of the top three pass-rush win rates of the decade, and only two edge rushers have a higher pressure rate over the past ten years. Graham has always been the poster child for pressure mattering in and of itself, even if it comes with a lower rate of sacks than other players, and the Philadelphia Eagles have been a far better team for embracing that dynamic."

If you’re an Eagles fan or if you’ve been watching anything this guy has done during his time with three Eagles head coaches, you’d have to agree.

Anyone not of the opinion of the cold shoulder “55” tends to be offered needn’t look any further than Philly’s most recent season. In 2019, during a Week 5 game versus the New York Jets, Graham helped push the “Birds” over .500 with a 31-6 home victory. Graham tallied six tackles and three sacks. Was he given the nod as the NFL’s or even the NFC’s defensive player of the week? Of course, he wasn’t.

That alone says it all. Graham may never make it to Canton, but he’s a shoo-in for the Eagles Hall of Fame. His place in this team’s history book is assured. Like Jason Peters, Graham has played for Andy Reid, Chip Kelly, and Doug Pederson. The regimes may have changed, but Graham has been his same old reliable self. If this is truly his last ride, it’s been fun to watch. Let’s hope we’re finally talking about double-digit sacks at season’s end.