“Brandon! Stop, Brandon!” That was the soundtrack of Brandon Graham’s childhood… even his aunty’s bird learned the lyrics. The bird would repeat those words throughout the day, having heard Graham’s family shout them often enough to memorize them. It goes without saying that Graham was a handful, something his kindergarten teacher could certainly confirm. To those around him, it seemed discipline might become a real challenge as the energetic youngster grew up. Only, they were wrong!

Battling the gloomy outlook towards his future, he went on to become a vital part of the Philadelphia Eagles‘ leadership and locker room, where younger players looked up to him as their captain. But even the best stories eventually reach their final chapter. And now, Graham’s time in the NFL is coming to an end as he prepares to retire… once again.

“Brandon Graham announced that he is officially done this morning,” NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark wrote on X. “He is retired after 16 seasons. He said this at a Jefferson Health event this morning in Philly.”

Per the reports, Brandon Graham was attending the ‘Breakfast with the Birds’ pep rally at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. As an official community ambassador for Jefferson Health, Graham was there to help kick off the upcoming NFL season and build community excitement ahead of the Eagles’ Week 1 opener.

However, he also used his time at the podium during the rally to surprise the crowd by officially announcing his retirement from the NFL.

“I’m officially done,” he said. “Y’all are hearing it from me first.

“I’m going to still be around, still giving wisdom, helping the guys. Of course, it’s an adjustment for me, but it’s a great adjustment because it’s all about my kids and my family, trying to make sure I’m there for that and just spreading the love everywhere.”

Graham had a 16-year-long career and will finish it as the longest-tenured player in the Eagles’ history. Chuck Bednarik stands at the second position with 14 seasons (1949-1962). And for a career that long, it has been filled with several moments that arguably defined Graham as one of the franchise’s legends and leaders.

That leadership also showed up in the way Graham held younger players accountable. Back in 2021, he pointed to the young roster as a major reason behind Philadelphia’s struggles, with penalties and a lack of turnovers hurting the team. But Graham didn’t just point out the problems; he challenged his teammates to be better, just like his family had once attempted with him.

Then, the numbers add to his legendary status. He had 215 games (franchise record) under his belt with 79.5 sacks (3rd in Eagles history), and 495 total tackles in the regular season. During his tenure, Graham has delivered many show-stopping moments for Philadelphia.

Back during Super Bowl LII, the Philadelphia Eagles faced the New England Patriots. In that game, with just over two minutes left, Brandon Graham made a strip-sack on Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. As a result, the fumble was recovered by the Eagles, sealing a 41-33 victory and capturing the franchise’s first-ever Lombardi Trophy.

Then in 2020, Graham was named to his first career Pro Bowl after racking up 8 sacks. A season later, the now-retired Eagles DE suffered a setback when he tore his Achilles in 2021. However, he bounced back in 2022 to log a career-high 11.0 sacks.

By then, Brandon Graham had already built his stature as one of the standout leaders in the Eagles locker room. However, following the Super Bowl LIX victory, he further elevated his reputation. Graham played through a torn triceps muscle to help the Eagles defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 40–22 in that game.

Not the first time Brandon Graham is retiring

Following the Super Bowl LIX victory, Brandon Graham announced his retirement from professional football after 15 seasons.

“I could not be happier with the way my career played out, the love I’ve gotten, and the success the Eagles have had as an organization,” Graham said during his first retirement announcement. “For real, it has been a dream come true.

“While my time on the field is coming to an end, my love for this team and city will never fade. Philadelphia and everybody from the bottom of my heart.”

He stayed away from the game for roughly seven months. In October 2025, after the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive line was hit hard by injuries, general manager Howie Roseman reached out to Graham.

Eventually, Za’Darius Smith’s sudden retirement convinced the defensive end to un-retire and re-join his lifelong franchise for one more year, yielding three more sacks and just as many QB hits that were added to an already legendary tally.

As a true Eagles player, he came out of retirement, signed a contract, and played nine additional games, even becoming the oldest player in franchise history to record a sack at age 37.

After that contract expired, Graham became an unsigned free agent and was not part of the Eagles’ training camp this offseason before announcing his retirement.