After 15 seasons, two Super Bowl appearances, and a career comeback for the ages, Brandon Graham hung up his cleats. The longtime Philadelphia Eagles defensive end officially announced his retirement on March 18, 2025, closing the book on a storied career that began with high expectations and had its fair share of ups and downs.
But as Graham recently shared on the April 10 episode of the “New Heights” podcast — with his former teammate Jason Kelce and Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce — the decision to walk away from the game wasn’t easy, and it came down to one unexpected conversation.
Despite finishing his career on top and being one of the most beloved figures in Eagles history, the 37-year-old pass rusher admitted he was leaning toward returning for one final run. But someone close to the team helped him see things differently.
Eagles DE Brandon Graham: ‘A Whole Bunch Left’ Post-Injury
Graham’s 2024 season didn’t go the way he wanted. After posting two tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss, three QB hits, and a pass breakup in Philadelphia’s Week 13 win over the Los Angeles Rams, he suffered a torn tricep and would miss the remainder of the 2024 campaign.
Many thought it would be the last game of his career.
But Graham returned for what would be one last hurrah — and what a hurrah it was. The Eagles did what many doubted they could: Convincingly defeated the Chiefs — who had threatened a three-peat — in Super Bowl 59.
Graham played 13 snaps and finished with one tackle.
Despite the Super Bowl victory, Graham felt a lingering sense of unfinished business.
“I’m going to be totally honest with you … I wanted to give it another run ‘cuz I got hurt,” Graham told the Kelce brothers. “I was like, man, I got a whole bunch left that I can still do.”
Even as he considered retirement, Graham’s competitive fire was still burning. But when he went in to discuss his future with a key decision-maker in the Eagles organization, he made a point of leaving the moment up to faith.
“I prayed before I had went in the day before,” Graham said. “I was like, ‘Okay, Lord, you just lead me on this.'”
Eagles GM Howie Roseman Gives Graham An Unexpected Push to Call It a Career
That meeting turned out to be a turning point. Instead of being met with a pitch to return, Graham was told exactly what he needed to hear.
“When I walked in, he like ‘BG, what you want to do?’ I said, ‘Man, what you want me to do?'” Graham recalled. “He was like, ‘BG, this is such a fairytale ending. You got to go out on top.’ And when he said fairytale, I was like, ‘All right, Lord, I’m done.’ I didn’t even fight it after that.
“I just felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulder when it happened,” Graham said. “Cuz I had this chip on my shoulder for so long — just people telling me I’m a bust and all that stuff.”
‘Bust’ to Philly Legend: How Graham Turned Doubt Into Dominance
Graham’s journey wasn’t always smooth. Selected No. 13 overall in the 2010 NFL Draft, he faced harsh criticism early in his career, especially as names like Earl Thomas — picked just after him — quickly became stars. Injuries and inconsistent play led fans and media to label him a draft bust. But Graham kept grinding.
According to NBC Philadelphia, the criticism never faded until his strip sack of Tom Brady in Super Bowl 52 became an iconic moment in Eagles history.
“I carry that every year as motivation to go out there and make sure I’m working,” Graham said.
That underdog mentality became his fuel. And now, after 76.5 career sacks, a Pro Bowl nod, and two Lombardis, Graham is finally at peace with what he’s done.