Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham speaks during a news conference at the NFL football team's practice facility in Philadelphia, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Longtime Eagle Brandon Graham, owner of perhaps the most important, iconic play in the team’s history, announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday. His heartfelt and emotional speech, part of the press event for the announcement, will almost surely join former teammate Jason Kelce’s speech on the list of tear-inducing Birds’ goodbyes.

The news wasn’t unexpected. Graham confirmed after the speech that he retore the left tricep that almost kept him out of the Eagles’ 40-22 Super Bowl rout of the Kansas City Chiefs last month.

The 36-year-old spent all 15 of his professional seasons with Philadelphia and, after a slow start hampered by injuries, went on to become the team’s most-tenured player.

“Y’all know I gave everything I had, everything I had in this,” he said Tuesday. “And I don’t have no regrets.”

Before giving his speech, Graham marked his departure by hanging up his game-worn cleats from Super Bowl 59 on the Rocky Statue, outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Reactions are still coming in from the Philly sports world and beyond, but it seems like the message definitely reached the Phillies in Bradenton, Fla., with Nick Castellanos’ deep left-field home run marking another somber day in the sports world. Castellano’s homers and big hits over the years have coincided with news both sobering and silly, including Thom Brennaman’s hot mic flub and subsequent replacement on a Cincinnati Reds broadcast, the killing of Osama Bin Laden, Charlie Manuel’s stroke, and now Graham’s retirement announcement. The guy has timing.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts and other Birds teammates and staff, whom Graham thanked in his speech, were at the press conference and celebrated with him afterwards.

The team also posted a statement from chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie.

Lane Johnson reacted with a very Philly meme to show how he felt being the last one left of the “core four,” after Kelce, Fletcher Cox and now Graham’s departures.

Former teammate and fellow Super Bowl 52 champion Chris Long sent his congratulations.

Philly’s other major league teams posted their tributes to Graham.

And in the political world, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro also sent their congratulations.


The NFL listed out Graham’s record-setting accomplishments with the Birds.

The University of Michigan paid tribute to Graham, a Detroit native whose four seasons as a Wolverine included earning the 2009 Big Ten Most Valuable Player. That body of work landed him in Philly as the 13th overall pick of the 2010 NFL Draft.

No word yet from fellow Michigan alum Tom Brady, which honestly is just a good excuse to repost the greatest moment in Graham’s career (and maybe the greatest moment for ANY Eagles player ever), the fourth-quarter strip sack that helped Philadelphia lift its first-ever Vince Lombardi Trophy in 2018.

Graham also took time in his speech to thank and praise Eagles fans for their support throughout his time on the team, before giving his (probably not last) E-AG-L-E-S chant.

“Philly doesn’t just support this team, it lives for them,” he said. “And I feel it, and I see it, and I appreciate every single one of you. Thank you for being the heartbeat of this city.”

Nick Kariuki is Billy Penn’s trending news reporter. A graduate of the University of Virginia and Medill’s MSJ program at Northwestern University, Nick was previously a sportswriter for outlets such...