PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham was back at practice for the first time in two months on Thursday, setting the stage for a potential return in the Super Bowl from a triceps injury considered season-ending.
The 36-year-old Graham was thought to be done for the season after he tore his triceps in a Nov. 24 game against the Los Angeles Rams. Graham was placed on injured reserve two days later, seemingly ending what Graham had called the final season of his career. As the Eagles kept winning, including all three NFC playoff games, Graham started to hint that a comeback was possible for the Feb. 9 Super Bowl against Kansas City.
Graham is one of two position players and four players overall left from the Eagles’ Super Bowl championship team in the 2017 season.
He is responsible for one of the great moments in Eagles history with his strip-sack of New England’s Tom Brady in the Super Bowl with 2:21 left in the fourth quarter. Derek Barnett recovered and the Eagles hung on to win 41-33.
Graham missed most of 2021 with a torn Achilles tendon, but came back the next season to get a career-high 11 sacks. Graham had 3 1/2 sacks in 11 games this season before he was injured. He holds the franchise record with 5 1/2 career postseason sacks.
Graham is still on injured reserve and does not count against the 53-man roster. The Eagles will also practice Friday and Saturday before they leave Sunday for New Orleans.
The Eagles have largely used a three-player rush combination of Nolan Smith, Josh Sweat and Jalyx Hunt in Graham’s absence.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni announced in November that Graham’s injury was season-ending.
“His energy is contagious. If you’re having a bad day and you get around him, he can turn your day positive. Obviously, the type of player he is speaks for itself and the play on the field,” he said in the days after the injury. “He was having a great year. I just can’t say enough about him as a leader, as a captain, as a teammate.”
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Please read our comment policy before commenting.