This might be it for Brandon Graham, unfortunately. But this isn’t how he wanted to end his NFL career. He wanted to hold the Lombardi trophy before he said goodbye to the sport that he dedicated himself to for 15 years. It’s gut-wrenching for football enthusiasts, even if you’re not an Eagles fan. The guy was so close to building a legacy and it was stripped away from him. This was heartbreaking for his teammate Jalen Hurts, too, who has been playing with BG for 5 seasons.

The Eagles QB was talking to the guard on the sidelines when he got hurt. And he thought that Graham would bounce back and come back a better player and a person. Judging by Hurts’s words, he wanted Brandon Graham to come back and play one more season. But that shall stay undecided till he fully heals.

A word from Jalen Hurts

“Because I was there for him, and so I’m very unfortunate for the man first, and the teammate second, you know, a guy that has endeared himself to this franchise. As always, try to uplift those. And really just teach the young guys that are coming in. You know, you got to think of the guy as deep as he is in his team. It’s bigger than the game, and why he’s still playing,” Hurts said in the post-game.

Per the Eagles QB, Graham has always strived to be the best player and the best teammate. He’s been through the ups and downs that his football career has brought him and persevered through them. Though Graham expressed on a past couple of occasions that this might be his last season, nothing is set in stone. And for Jalen Hurts, this is another “pit stop” for the man who had the third-highest number of sacks (75.5) in the Eagles history.

“I think it’s just another pit stop for him. He’s going to come back strong and find a better man, a better player, whatever he chooses to do and be, I know he’ll be better for it. I know there’s an energy and enthusiasm that we’re bringing on him as we continue to play the course of the season,” the QB further added.

Before he left the game in the fourth quarter, Graham had already recorded a sack, 2 solo tackles, 3 QB hits, two tackles for losses, and defended a pass. But while Graham’s teammates have been offering him condolences, the head coach Nick Sirianni has chosen to keep hush about the matter. And that too for a good reason.

Nick Sirianni won’t say a thing about Brandon Graham’s injury

As mentioned earlier, the veteran pass rusher got hurt in the fourth quarter when it was a pass play, and the running back “chipped” him in his arm. It “stung” Graham and he knew something wasn’t right because the pain was different this time. For Sirianni, though, it was like losing his “favorite guys I’ve ever been able to coach.”

The head coach declined to make any comments about his injury until he had further proof and a sturdy medical diagnosis. However, he did confirm that Graham was ruled out for the season. “Again, I’m not ready to talk about it yet,” Sirianni said. “Holding out hope, and we’ll see.”

But there’s a question that has occupied everyone’s mind. Will Graham return in the next season? He gave an answer that left everyone guessing and left things on a cliffhanger. “Let’s finish this. Then we’ll see how rehab is going, and then we go from there. But I know me and my teammates, we can talk. I told some of them, if I can make it happen, definitely want to make it happen. But if not, I’m cool, too.”

The veteran edge rusher has been a significant presence in the locker room. The team looks up to him. He’s helped the rookies and established players alike. Perhaps the best memory the Eagles fans have of him is when he strip-sacked Tom Brady in Super Bowl LII. Regardless of his return to the field, he will continue to be a leader. He would hold a special place not only in the hearts of the locker room but also in the hearts of countless Eagles fans as well.