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Brandon Graham ruptured his Achilles tendon on September 19 in what was feared to be a career-ending injury. It wasn’t. Graham has been attacking his rehab with vigor and the road to recovery looks stronger and stronger for the 33-year-old edge rusher.
The undisputed defensive spark plug for the Philadelphia Eagles has vowed to return stronger as evidenced by a workout video posted to Instagram. Graham can be seen doing 495-pound deadlifts and 225-pound resistance squats. He looks ahead of schedule in his recovery from surgery on his left leg. Not surprising considering Graham’s upbeat attitude the day after the injury.
As he prepares to return from his torn Achilles injury, #Eagles Brandon Graham is back to lifting heavy weight.
Slight 495lb deadlift, 225lb resistance pause squats for the 13-year veteran.
“No sense in crying over it, might as well just get ready for what’s to come,” Graham told John Clark on September 20. “I’m going to work my butt off to get back while I’m working my butt off to try to help the team too.”
Graham is set to enter his 13th season in midnight green after going 13th overall in the 2010 NFL draft. It took him time to develop into the devastating pass rusher the Eagles hoped he’d be but he did it. He’s a fan favorite, team captain, and the guy who strip-sacked Tom Brady in the Super Bowl.
Brandon Graham posted this farewell IG story to Tom Brady. 💀
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Howie Roseman Updated Graham’s Status
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman provided the first encouraging update on Graham back in January. He told reporters the Pro Bowl defensive end was at the practice facility every single day, attacking his rehab and carrying a huge chip on his shoulder. Graham — a guy who ranks fourth on the franchise’s all-time sack list — will be back in a major way in 2022.
Miss all of you guys too. I promise i will be back next year ready.
“In terms of BG, we miss BG. We miss BG the player, and there is nobody who can replace BG, the person, the leader that he is as well,” Roseman said on January 19. “We know he’s attacking this rehab. We see him every day around here. And he has a chip on his shoulder, and we do see a role for him going forward, and we are excited to get him back next year. He’s a huge part of our football team.”
Eagles Looking to Draft Another Edge Rusher?
It’s the time of year when everyone is putting out a mock draft. The Eagles have three first-round picks — No. 15, No. 16, No. 19 — and assuming they don’t trade the farm for Russell Wilson, then the plan is to use them on the defensive side. And edge rusher could be a priority, thanks to Graham’s advancing age and Derek Barnett’s likely departure.
Early name to watch for a potential #NFLCombine jump: Georgia DE Travon Walker. His freakish athleticism won’t go unnoticed.
One name to keep an eye on is Travon Walker out of Georgia. He has been linked to the Eagles by ESPN’s Todd McShay who thinks the team needs to “stock the pass-rush cupboard a bit.” Walker (6-foot-5, 275 pounds) had six sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss, and a team-high 36 quarterback hurries in 2021.
Meanwhile, NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah pegged David Ojabo from Michigan to the Eagles at No. 16: “He’s raw but he has as much upside as any edge rusher in the draft.” Ojabo (6-foot-5, 250 pounds) registered 8.5 sacks, 33 tackles (eight for loss), and one forced fumble as a senior.
David Ojabo’s rip move is so unfair
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Eagles’ Defensive Leader Lifting Crazy Weights, Rehab Update: WATCH