Well... We have our answer. Brandon Graham's 15th season in Philadelphia Eagles Kelly and Midnight Green will be his last. He officially announced his retirement on March 18 at noon.
The answer didn't surprise us. He said he'd do this a long time ago. He said he'd suit up for a decade and a half and call it quits. Even when he was noncommittal about his decision, we figured this was where it would end.
Why in the heck, after saying all of that, are we so bummed out about this then? We aren't too proud to say we shed a few tears.
Damn! B.G. won't be on this team next season.
Brandon Graham will ride off into the sunset after 15 Eagles seasons.
We're older than some of you, so we remember everything about this journey. There was the surprise selection of B.G. over Earl Thomas in the 2010 NFL Draft. Earl's scorching start in Seattle with the Seahawks while Graham struggled before becoming a late-bloomer... The strip-sacks in Super Bowl 52...
Yes, it's been a long ride, and we wouldn't trade a day of it.
Graham probably won't be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but that doesn't make his career any less legendary. He's a shoo-in for induction into the Eagles Hall of Fame. He's a class act, a guy we never caught without a smile on his face... That is unless the Eagles had just been defeated in battle.
How fitting is it that, during Jalen Hurts' postgame interview on FOX after winning Super Bowl MVP, it was B.G. who tapped him on the shoulder and gave him some advice about what needed to be said once the confetti fell and the cameras focused on QB1?
"Yeah... Boy, I appreciate you! Appreciate you! Let 'em know! Let them boys know man! Tell 'em to get off your back!!"
55 had just won his second Super Bowl but was focused on a teammate, Jalen Hurts. B.G. was one of Jalen's biggest supporters since day one, and he wanted everyone within the sound of his voice to know something.
The constant and often unfair criticism of Jalen Hurts needed to end.
That, ladies and gentlemen was who Brandon Graham was since the beginning. Loving... Supportive... An Eagle to the core... A leader who was always welcoming...
Oh, and he was LOUD. It was impossible for him to sneak up on anyone. You ALWAYS knew when he was coming.
All good things must end, however, but let's not call this an ending. We'll see B.G. around and quite often. Might a career in radio be on the horizon? We see no reason to end 94 WIP-FM's Brandon Graham Show.
For now, our thoughts are about one of the most legendary careers we've ever had the opportunity to witness (and cover). B.G. calls it quits having appeared in the most games played by any Bird for this storied franchise.
He's one of three Eagles who played for Andy Reid, Chip Kelly, Doug Pederson AND Nick Sirianni. His final numbers: 206 regular-season games, 106 starts 7,048 snaps played on defense during the regular season and another 1,189 on special teams, 487 tackles, 126 TFLs, 76.5 sacks, 11 pass breakups, 22 forced fumbles. seven fumble recoveries, and a defensive TD.
He also appeared in 12 playoff games, starting six of those, He notched 21 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles.
You might remember one of them. He punched the ball out of Tome Brady's hands in Super Bowl 52. For our money, it's the greatest strip-sack in the history of football's biggest game.