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Eagles teammates, fans, and the media react to Brandon Graham’s retirement: ‘Legends live on forever’

Chris Long, Rodney McLeod, and more showed their support after the 15-year veteran announced he is retiring.

Jalen Hurts posed for a photo with Brandon Graham after Graham’s retirement announcement at the NovaCare Complex on Tuesday.
Jalen Hurts posed for a photo with Brandon Graham after Graham’s retirement announcement at the NovaCare Complex on Tuesday.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer

After 15 seasons with the Eagles, Brandon Graham has officially announced his retirement.

Leading up to Graham’s announcement, the Eagles posted a photo of the 36-year-old defensive end by the Rocky statue, with his game-worn Super Bowl LIX cleats hanging over the fictional fighter’s shoulder.

One of the main topics surrounding Graham this season was whether he would retire after Super Bowl LIX. After the Eagles’ social media post on Tuesday, even before the announcement was made, fans began to speculate that he would indeed call it a career — and praise poured in for the two-time Super Bowl champion.

  1. “He’s hanging them up! What a legend. Congrats on one hell of a career. These Super Bowls don’t happen without him. THANK YOU BG!!! AN EAGLE FOREVER,” one fan wrote.

  2. “Goodbye Champion, you will always be remembered as the man who made the play to seal our first Super Bowl victory.”

  3. “Brandon Graham retiring as a two-time SB champ. Legend. And not even a hot take, I’d definitely put BG ahead of Jason Kelce in the pecking order for greatest Eagles of all time.”

  4. “If this is it for him, that’s one amazing career ending. Can’t thank him enough for everything he’s done on and off the field.”

» READ MORE: Philly could have broken Brandon Graham. Instead, he retires with a smile. | David Murphy

But some Eagles fans weren’t as mentally prepared for the news as others.

When it was time for Graham to take a seat at the news conference, with two Lombardi Trophies placed on either side of him, he gave an emotional speech, tearing up as soon as he started. With Fletcher Cox, Lane Johnson, Jalen Hurts, and more in attendance, Graham thanked his family, teammates, past coaches — including Andy Reid — and the entire Eagles organization during the 10-minute speech.

» READ MORE: Eagles’ Brandon Graham retires after 15 NFL seasons and 2 Super Bowl titles

His former teammates shared that same love to Graham on social media, including fellow former defensive linemen Chris Long and Beau Allen, tight end Zach Ertz, and safety Rodney McLeod.

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie thanked Graham for his time in Philadelphia in a statement released by the team.

» READ MORE: Brandon Graham’s best Eagles moments, on and off the field, from the strip-sack to his great unblocking party

“Without question, Brandon Graham is the embodiment of everything you would want in a Philadelphia Eagle. He’s a special player and a special person. It’s only fitting that he has played in more games than anyone else in the history of our franchise,” Lurie said.

The media also took to social media to celebrate Graham.

» READ MORE: Brandon Graham's career by the numbers, from Eagles records to clutch plays

And for someone like Graham, who will live on as an Eagles legend, there’s only one way to end it …