A key leader for the Philadelphia Eagles returns in 2022.
Picture it. 2nd quarter… Two-minute warning… The Philadelphia Eagles were leading 3-0 following a Week 1 victory. The San Francisco 49ers are at their own 17-yard line. Nine seconds later, Lincoln Financial Field goes silent.
Brandon Graham is, all of a sudden, limping. It’s a non-contact injury. He takes a seat on the turf. That was the last time we would see B.G. suit up in 2021. A ruptured Achilles is to blame for what could have been a promising season.
This was the first season in which the 2020 Pro Bowler missed significant time since 2011. Prior to 2021, Graham had played 159 out of a possible 176 career games. From 2012 to 2020, he played in 143 out of a possible 144 with his lone absence being the meaningless Week 17 game of the Super Bowl season, one in which the coaches decided to rest their starters for a postseason run.
Without B.G. a season ago, Philadelphia lost one of its best run defenders and pass rushers simultaneously. He was still a vocal leader on the sidelines, but it just wasn’t the same. Things are completely different without him on the field, and now, with Rodney McLeod in Indianapolis as a member of the Colts, Graham’s return to the field and locker room is much needed.
Sure, Philly has veteran leadership on the defensive side of the ball, but none are as respected as the man who wears the number 55 jersey. Brandon Graham is the longest-tenured Eagle on the defensive side of the football. He’ll continue to be one of the primary leaders and voices on this team as Philly navigates 2022’s schedule.
The six-foot-five, 265-pound defensive end is entering his 13th NFL season at 34 years of age. He has one year left on his contract and represents a $9.4 million cap hit. Valuable reps were taken away from him in a year where he was getting a feel for his role in a new defense led by Jonathan Gannon. There is no doubt that he will be mentally prepared to execute J.G.’s scheme, but reps are important.
Graham may need some time to adjust. Coming off of a significant injury and doing so in one’s mid-thirties is tough, but there’s no reason not to be confident about whether or not he’ll be ready to produce once he gets comfortable. Here are a couple of reasonable expectations for an Eagles legend as he prepares for year 13 on the midnight green.