Philadelphia Eagles star defensive end Brandon Graham was cleared to return from a torn triceps suffered 11 weeks ago and will play in the Super Bowl against Kansas City.
The 36-year-old Graham was thought to be done for the season after he was injured in a Nov. 24 game against the Los Angeles Rams.
Graham was placed on injured reserve two days later, seemingly ending what he had called the final season of his career. As the Eagles kept winning, including all three NFC playoff games, Graham started to hint he could put on his No. 55 jersey — he considered it a good luck sign when the Eagles scored 55 points in the NFC title game — in the Super Bowl.
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Graham returned to practice as a limited participant last week and was listed as questionable on Friday’s injury report. He was officially back on the 53-man roster Saturday.
Graham said this week in New Orleans that he envisioned himself running out of the tunnel for Super Bowl introductions.
“It’ll feel great because you worked your butt off to get back,” Graham said. “I know the team worked their butt off to get here and I want to be there for them.”
Graham is one of two position players and four players overall left from the Eagles’ Super Bowl championship team in the 2017 season.
The Eagles’ first-round pick out of Michigan in 2010, Graham said in training camp this would be his final season. His injury caused him to reexamine his choice, though his retirement decision isn’t final.
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.
Brandon Graham on his strip sack of Tom Brady
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 3.5 sacks in 11 games this season before he was injured. He holds the franchise record with 5.5 career postseason sacks.
Graham played 18 snaps without a tackle or sack when Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs beat the Eagles 38-35 two years ago.
Without Graham, the Eagles have enjoyed success using a three-player rush combination of Nolan Smith, Josh Sweat and Jalyx Hunt.
“I don’t want to get in the way of the rhythm of what everybody already has,” Graham said. “If I can just add anything, I want to give everything I’ve got.”
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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