'A New Appreciation' for Brandon Graham After Achilles Injury
PHILADELPHIA - By now you know Nick Sirianni's first core coaching value is "connection," and the second-year head coach is diligent when it comes to showing his players how much he cares about them.
It might be showing up for the first training camp practice wearing a Jalen Hurts t-shirt or making sure to have a meaningful conversation or two like a politician on the rope line during the stretching period.
For injured players, Sirianni would put their numbers on his visor last season as a reminder they weren't being forgotten and No. 55 appeared on the head coach's preferred headwear way too early after being lost to a torn left Achilles against San Francisco in Week 2.
It was a devastating injury from both the player's and the organization's perspectives because Brandon Graham is on the wrong side on 30 and it's not exactly easy to replicate the veteran's energy at practice.
Now 34 and about to enter his 13th NFL season, Graham is just happy to be back in the mix, kicking off the summer on the edge of the team's first defensive rep of the summer.
“I’m excited to be back out here,” Graham said after Wednesday's practice. “I’m not in [a] rush to leave the field because time is flying."
After a shaky start to his career as the No. 13 overall pick out of Michigan in 2010, it's now understood that Graham has turned into an all-time franchise great and the architect of perhaps the biggest play in the organization's modern history, the strip sack of Tom Brady that basically sealed the deal in Super Bowl LII.
Moving forward, though, Graham seems to understand he's entering a new phase of his career as just a piece of the puzzle on a deep defensive line instead of part of the duo, along with Fletcher Cox, opposing offensive coaches would game plan for.
Graham also realizes he's far closer to the finish line than the starting gun when it comes to his playing career but wants a decade and a half in the NFL.
“Once we get started with this season it’s going to be over and I’m going to be going into [Year No.] 14," Graham said. "I’m just trying to enjoy every day.”
If Graham isn't enjoying every day, it's tough to tell.
Even in the midst of rehab from his injury he might have been the most effervescent Eagles player with the trademarked big smile and the bro hugs to accompany it when spotted at the NovaCare Complex.
The first two months after the injury was a struggle for Graham, however, and he admitted that an Achilles injury was his biggest injury fear as an aging player.
He also admitted being stationary for eight weeks was no picnic but also quickly realized medical advances made this injury nothing compared to the microfracture knee surgery he overcame earlier in his career.
Once Graham had some mobility back he was in the gym and enters this season in the best physical shape of his life, at least from a power and strength perspective. As with any aging player, the jury remains out when it comes to regaining the same pre-injury explosion.
Graham, though, has already gotten the full clear from the doctors.
His ultimate goal is to play 15 seasons, all with Philadelphia but has already intimated the former is more important than the latter to him meaning the Eagles will have to make some decisions moving forward.
Graham, though, can take the difficulty of those decisions off the table by simply playing like Brandon Graham.
"I’ve been playing with BG for a long time and you expect him to be there. It feels different when he’s there," Cox said. "... Everybody’s happy he’s back. Another leader that we get back that we lost last year to injury. We’re all excited about it.”
Sirianni, meanwhile, will assuredly be sporting a Graham t-shirt at some point during camp, all the while hoping the number 55 doesn't make a return appearance on the visor.
“Man, I’m so excited just being back with the guys,” Graham said. “A new appreciation being gone and now having another opportunity to be back here with the Philadelphia Eagles.”
-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Sports. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talker Jody McDonald, every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube.com and JAKIBSports.com. You can reach John at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
