Jason Kelce says he hopes Brandon Graham ‘comes back’ for another year after season-ending triceps injury

Kelce, who played 13 seasons alongside Graham, says the defensive end is "still so dominant and so productive" despite being 36 years old.

Jason Kelce says he hopes Brandon Graham (right) will play one more season, saying "[he's] still so dominant and so productive."Read moreTIM TAI / Staff Photographer

by Gabriela Carroll

Published Nov. 27, 2024, 12:46 p.m. ET

During his 15-year career with the Birds, Brandon Graham has become one of the most beloved players in franchise history, inside and outside the locker room.

It’s part of why Nick Sirianni is insistent that Graham will continue to travel with the team, even after Graham’s season-ending tricep tear during Sunday’s win over the Los Angeles Rams.

“We need him,” Sirianni said Monday. “I need him. The team needs him. Because, again, Brandon Graham affects the team way more than just on the field because – you guys know him – of the person he is, because of the captain he is, because of the teammate he is. His enthusiasm and love for football and love for his teammates are infectious.”

Graham had previously announced that this would be his final year of football. But Jason Kelce, Graham’s teammate for 13 years, said on his podcast New Heights on Wednesday that he hopes Graham changes his mind.

“I hope he comes back, I really do,” Kelce said. “He was still playing at a high level. I hope he does whatever he wants to do, but he was still so dominant and so productive. I know him, I know BG’s still going to be out there leading those guys, still being around them, still getting those guys right. This is his 15th season, he’s been so good for so long in Philadelphia. Yeah, that one stings.”

Since the injury, Graham has been non-committal about whether Sunday’s game was his last in the NFL or if he might return for another season. He said Monday that he plans to get surgery “hopefully next week,” and will make a decision about his career at a later time.