Will star defensive lineman Brandon Graham move on from the Eagles after the Super Bowl?
Graham’s wife, Carlyne, hinted at the possibility during an interview on the field Sunday after Philadelphia beat the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.
CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson’s interview with Graham was crashed by Carlyne and her two children, including her crying daughter. As Graham held her daughter in her arms to comfort her, his wife spoke to Anderson about what it meant to see her husband back in the Super Bowl nearly 18 months after an Achilles injury sidelined him sidelined for almost the entire 2021 season.
“To know he came back from his injury and to know all the hard work he put in, this could be the last game he plays for Philly, I’m speechless,” Carlyne said. “I’m very proud of him.”
Graham has played his entire 13-year career with Philadelphia after the Eagles selected him No. 13 overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. This summer, he said he expects to play three more seasons and indicated he is open to a one-year to another place But as the 2022 campaign draws to a close, Graham has reiterated his desire to continue playing for the only professional team he has ever known.
He’s certainly shown there’s still some kick in his tires, recording a regular-season high 11 sacks. The soon-to-be 35-year-old said in early January that retirement could also be a consideration if the Eagles win the title.
“The woman asked me the same question,” Graham told 94WIP. “And you know what, let’s win her first and then I’ll talk to you.”
Graham is perhaps best known for his fourth-quarter sack of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to clinch Super Bowl LII, the Eagles’ first. He is also the franchise’s oldest player and a team captain.
All of this bleeds into his tremendous impact off the field. Graham has received widespread praise for his charitable work in both Philadelphia and his hometown of Detroit, and is the Eagles’ nominee for the NFL’s 2022 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. He was also featured on “A Philly Special Christmas,” the Christmas music album compiled by Graham’s Eagles teammates Jason Kelce, Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson.
Graham’s interview this past Sunday showed his full range: he comforted his emotional daughter, hugged his wife and answered Anderson’s question about the Eagles’ defensive mindset before rushing to the midfield stage for the presentation of the NFC Championship trophy.
Another Eagles daughter got some more adorable screen time after Sunday’s game. During coach Nick Sirianni’s press conference, his daughter Taylor went viral for making hand motions and imitating her father while answering a question. Eagles wide receiver AJ Brown had a little fun at his coach’s expense once he saw the video.
Sirianni, Graham and Brown will square off against former Eagles coach Andy Reid and the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12, only on FOX and the FOX Sports app.
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