Philadelphia Eagles veteran pass-rusher Brandon Graham saw his practice window opened a week ago. He hoped that he'd be activated from injured reserve and make his return from a torn triceps suffered in late November.
He has been practicing and was present for Super Bowl LIX Opening Night at the Cesears Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. He reflected on his injury and how his role as a teammate shifted when he couldn't play.
Brandon Graham is trending toward playing in Super Bowl LIX.
Graham may have slipped up on opening night and given us more than he was supposed to. "I'm excited to play in this game." There aren't too many ways that can be interpreted. Maybe we shouldn't be surprised though. He has always left the door open to hint he might return.
Brandon Graham just said “I’m excited to play in this game.”
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) February 4, 2025
When asked to clarify — he said “well we’ll go through the week and see”.
Sounds like he’s playing to me.
Though it was widely expected that he would return to the field in some capacity, the Eagles have kept his status under wraps for as long as possible. It's chess, not checkers, and the Birds are known for keeping things like this in-house.
Inside the Iggles asked Graham later on in the night about the opportunity of returning on such an unprecedented timeline, as he would be returning in just three months -- half of the expected recovery time from a torn triceps.
"It would mean so much," Graham said, "It already means so much just because we're here."
The 15-year veteran has been in the big game twice during his career, winning one and losing the other. The loss came at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs two years ago at Super Bowl 57.
And while Graham already has one Super Bowl ring, his career is coming to a close and he would like to solidify his status as one of the game's great pass-rushers with another ring. "All I can say is if I do play, they're going to get everything like they always do and this time, I'm just playing it for this one game and it's for everything. I'm going to make sure I empty the tank."
BG explains how he embraced new role with triceps injury.
Despite the injury -- one that was initially expected to sideline him for the remainder of the season-- Graham spoke to his role and how it evolved being on the sideline.
"I just embrace that I'm in year 15," Graham said, "I'm just here to mentor those guys and of course, I'm still out here trying to play good, but it's more of making sure people get to their next level in their careers."
Graham listed players like Jalen Carter, Milton Williams, and Moro Ojomo as teammates that he has taken under his wing. One player that sticks out to him -- Ojomo, he said.
You don't get to year 15 through luck. Graham understands that, but he also seems to have come to terms with the fact that it's time to give back, saying that it's his 'duty' to repay the knowledge. "I give them all of the game that I can give them because I feel like we all have a duty to give back," Graham said, "That's my way of giving back while I'm still playing."
Giving back is exactly what Graham is doing as Philadelphia's young, budding defense leans on him and the other veteran presence's in times like this, where they've been there before. As for Graham, expect him to continue to progress throughout the week and be ready on Sunday to as he said, "empty the tank".