Getty Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, and Javon Hargrave fueled an Eagles pass rush that recorded a franchise-record 70 sacks in 2022.
Brandon Graham’s wallet was a little bit lighter this week after the NFL fined him $13,261 for his role in a fight at the end of the NFC Championship Game. The melee erupted with 3:55 left in the fourth quarter, with the Philadelphia Eagles leading the San Francisco 49ers 31-7.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero was the first to report the amount. The fight appeared to be the result of extreme frustration from a 49ers team staring down the barrel of defeat. And a lost shot at the Super Bowl, much to Brandon Aiyuk’s chagrin.
Following a little pushing and shoving at the end of a play, San Francisco left tackle Trent Williams grabbed Eagles safety K’Von Wallace by the back of his jersey — near the neck area — and slammed him hard to the turf. Rookie linebacker Nakobe Dean immediately intervened and Williams threw a punch in his direction, leading to 49ers guard Aaron Banks to violently shove Dean.
Then, Graham got in Williams’ face and pushed him out of the scrum. That is when Wallace joined the fray and he proceeded to land a jab to Banks’ helmet. The wild scene resulted in the benches emptying and multiple flags being thrown. Williams was fined $12,731 — a surprisingly lesser fine than Graham considering Williams started the fight — and both he and Wallace were ejected.
San Francisco linebacker Dre Greenlaw was also docked $10,430 for an unnecessary roughness call in the fourth quarter on a separate play where he hit Kenneth Gainwell late. And 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga was fined $4,916 for a late hit on Jalen Hurts in the third quarter.
Chiefs’ Travis Kelce Details Painful Back Injury
Chiefs Pro Bowl tight end Travis Kelce may be dealing with a minor back injury in Super Bowl LVII. He was listed as a game-time decision for the AFC Championship Game and while he played well in that one — 7 catches for 78 yards, with 1 touchdown — Kelce was in quite a bit of pain before kickoff. He revealed on the “New Heights” podcast how he tweaked his back on the second-to-last play of practice and it took a small miracle to get himself ready to play. He was feeling fatigued and sore.
“I was lucky that we got some of the best trainers in the world in Kansas City,” Kelce said, via Devon Clements. “It was unbelievable how much time I spent on my stomach getting my back worked on, getting needles thrown into me… just anything that could possibly help for Friday night, Saturday the entire day, and then Sunday before the game.”
Travis Kelce testing his back out pregame. It was short.
Avonte Maddox Misses Back-to-Back Practices
Eagles nickel cornerback Avonte Maddox missed back-to-back practices as he continues to battle a nagging toe injury. The panic alarm was going off last Thursday when he showed up at walk-through with a boot on his left ankle, then the boot was magically off at Friday’s practice.
The 26-year-old was listed as a non-participant on both days. Maddox saw 19 defensive snaps for the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game. He recorded three total tackles, including a tackle for loss in the 31-7 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. His status could be in jeopardy for Super Bowl LVII. Stay tuned.
No walking boot today for Avonte Maddox