It’s been quite a year for longtime Philadelphia Eagles pass rusher Brandon Graham.
Graham, the longest-tenured Eagle in team history, is one of just four players in team history who played for both Super Bowl-winning teams. Last season, he had a storybook ending. He defied the odds and returned in time for the Super Bowl from a seemingly season-ending triceps injury. The Eagles won the Big Game and he rode off into the sunset in retirement.
It would’ve been the perfect end, but he added another layer this season. Philadelphia’s pass rush struggled early on and he came out of retirement to try to help the franchise again. He’s done a good job, too, with three sacks in nine games. That’s tied with Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith and just a half-sack behind Zack Baun, to show how effective he’s been.
The Eagles star has been everything Philly could’ve hoped for
With the playoffs just days away from beginning, Graham wrote up a letter to Eagles fans on Wednesday, as shared by the team.
“It’s time, Philly. This is what we’ve been waiting for,” Graham wrote. “Two and a half months ago, I made the decision to come out of retirement. I had gone out on top, celebrating my second Super Bowl on Broad Street. I lived the fairytale ending. But, when I had the chance to come back, I thought to myself, why pass on an opportunity at history? When my career is finally over, no one will care about how it ended.
“What gets you remembered in this city are championships, and we have a shot at another one this year. If I didn’t think so, I wouldn’t be here. I would have gone off into the sunset if I felt last year was our final chance. But it wasn’t. I still have that fire inside, and I know this team has what it takes to make our goals a reality. I’ve been in Philadelphia for 16 seasons, and I’ve seen the lows. The 4-12 season in 2012, heartbreak in the playoffs. Now, it’s the golden era of Eagles football…”
You can read the entire message here.
Last season was a storybook for Graham. You can’t write a better ending, but somehow he may. If the Eagles can make another run and he has an impact on that, it will make for an even better story than last year. Graham is in his 16th season, all with the Eagles. Coming back from a season-ending injury to make the Super Bowl was sweet. Imagine coming out of retirement to do the same in back-to-back years? That would be legendary.
Steelers Re-Sign Versatile Defensive Back
The Pittsburgh Steelers have re-signed defensive back D’Shawn Jamison to their practice squad, the team announced on Wednesday.
Jamison, 26, first signed to the Steelers practice squad on Sep. 17, 2024. He spent the entire season on it before signing a reserve/future contract with the team at the end of the season.
Jamison played well this preseason, recording eight tackles, one for a loss, one quarterback hit and one forced fumble, but it wasn’t enough to earn him a spot on Pittsburgh’s 53-man roster.
Jamison was an undrafted free agent out of the 2023 NFL Draft but signed with the San Francisco 49ers shortly after. He was with the club up until being waived on cut-down day.
He was then claimed off waivers by the Carolina Panthers the next day and was with them up until being waived on Aug. 29, 2024. Jamson played in 15 games and started two for the Panthers in 2023. He finished the season with five tackles, three of them solo stops, and one pass defended while playing mostly in the slot.
Jamison was a standout at Texas, appearing in 60 games, starting 40 of them. He recorded 139 tackles, 109 of them solo stops, six tackles for a loss, 23 passes defensed, two fumble recoveries, one sack and one forced fumble. At his Texas pro day, he ran an impressive 4.51 40-yard dash.
He also ranks fourth all-time in UT history in career kick returns (54) and kick return yards (1,435). He was a 2022 preseason watch list candidate for the Paul Hornung Award and was named preseason second-team All-Big 12 by Phil Steele in 2022 at defensive back and punt returner.
Jamison returned to Texas for a fifth season, using his extra year of eligibility granted to college athletes who played in the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He had 25 tackles with two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown, and seven passes defended in his final season.
Players on the practice squad are free to sign with other teams at any time. The Steelers have a maximum of 17 slots on their practice squad, which is usually filled by a combination of players the team released and cuts from other squads.
