Eagles' Legendary 'Good Guy' Wins Appropriate Award

PHILADELPHIA - Recently retired Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham was selected as the 2025 Good Guy Award winner by the Professional Football Writers of America.

Graham, the 21st Good Guy Award winner, is the third member of the Eagles franchise to win the award, joining two-time winner Chris Long (2018 and 2019) and Jason Kelce (2023). Eagles players have been presented four total Good Guy Awards, the most among any NFL franchise.

The Good Guy Award is given to an NFL player for his qualities and professional style in helping pro football writers do their jobs. The award has been presented annually by the PFWA since 2005.

Other finalists for the Good Guy Award this year were Cleveland Browns guard Joel Bitonio, Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin, and Washington Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner.

The well-liked Graham had been a finalist for the Good Guy Award the past three years (2023-25). The 15-year veteran announced his retirement from pro football in March after returning from a torn triceps to play in Super Bowl LIX, a 44-20 victory over Kansas City to earn his second Lombardi Trophy as a player in his final NFL game.

Graham was also a two-time Eagles nominee for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.

“For a chunk of Brandon Graham’s 15 years with the Eagles, he would playfully tease reporters at the end of media availability by shouting ‘locker room’s closed!’ and follow it with his trademark laugh, Philadelphia PFWA president Zach Berman said. "The shame for reporters is they will no longer hear that from Graham anymore. His honesty, enthusiasm, and accessibility helped reporters do their jobs.”

Berman noted that in both Graham's introduction to Philadelphia after being drafted with the 13th overall pick in the 2010 draft out of Michigan and his retirement ceremony, Graham went around the room and embraced each reporter present, underlining the back-and-forth respect each had for the other's professionalism.

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