Brandon Graham's Incendiary Comments Take Focus Off Eagles' Important Week 15 Matchup

PHILADELPHIA – This was supposed to be a week to talk Eagles and Steelers, about a Week 15 matchup on Sunday between a pair of teams with double-digit wins closing in on winning their respective divisions, about how this game on Broad Street could be a preview of a game that will take place on Bourbon Street on Feb. 9 in a little thing called the Super Bowl.

Brandon Graham changed those conversations when he took a flamethrower to the foundation of a team just hours after it had won a franchise-tying ninth straight game with by beating the Carolina Panthers.

After Graham tore a triceps two weeks ago in Los Angeles, he talked about wanting to continue to lead, and as a captain he has stood at midfield for the past two pregame coin flips. Airing dirty laundry in public isn’t leading. Implying that Hurts and Brown – two cornerstones of this organization - used to be friends isn’t what team sitting at 11-2 needs.

“I know 1 is trying and 11 could be better with how he responds to things. They were friends, but things have changed.”

Brandon Graham gives insight to the AJ Brown/Jalen Hurts drama: pic.twitter.com/RcouHPGK43
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) December 9, 2024

Graham tried to put out the fire he started hours later to ESPN’s Tim McManus, but it’s too late.

In fairness to Graham, he may have been the one to set the fire, but there was some noticeable smoke inside the Eagles’ locker room when it opened after their win over the Panthers.

Fost was in the air and the atmosphere felt funereal. It felt a little like 2023 all over again, where, even after a win, players talked in hush tones without any music playing or excited chatter between players.

Brown gave two and three-word responses to a passing attack that has struggled. He didn’t seem to be pointing any fingers at Hurts, but more at the passing attack in general.

Now, who knows?

Still, one of the best receivers in the game Brown hasn’t had a double-digit target game since the season opener when he made five catches on 10 targets. Against the Panthers, he was targeted four times. A week earlier against the Ravens, there were six targets.

Brown had nearly 1,500 yards receiving in each of his first two seasons in Philly. Last year, he made 106 catches. This year – and remember, he missed three games with a hamstring injury – he has 48 catches for 836. He had 11 touchdowns in 2022 and seven last year. This year, he has four.

Hurts took the podium after the win over Carolina and talked as if the team had lost. After several minutes, public relations said there was time for two more questions. There was a couple seconds of silence from reporters until one spoke up to ask a question. Hurts got up and walked off the stage.

Head coach Nick Sirianni has said in recent press conferences that he sees a lot of joy with this team, with what it has accomplished. There was no joy on Sunday evening. Hurts will also talk on Wednesday. Brown? Who knows when he will talk again, and maybe he won’t for a while after this latest firestorm.

Sirianni, who will have a press conference on Wednesday, went on 94WIP Sports Talk radio on Tuesday morning and doubled-down on the joy he sees.

“People say, ‘I see a lot of 2023 vibes,’” he said. “I see a lot of 2022 vibes.”

Sirianni gave a glimpse of what he sees behind the scenes when it comes to Hurts and Brown.

“There’s going to be speculation of what things look like because you guys don’t have all the information,” he said. “You don’t get to see it on a daily basis. All I can judge is on, and this is very similar when people were asking me about Jalen and I’s relationship, or whatever it was.

“All I can judge things on is what I see on a daily basis. When I see A.J. and Jalen communicating about the game plan, eating lunch together every single day, praying with each other before the game. There’s going to be speculation, and I get it. Rightfully so based on what’s happened the last couple days. But all you can do is judge what (I) see.”

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