Eagles’ Brandon Graham says he suffered a season-ending triceps injury

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — In a somber corner of an otherwise giddy visitor’s locker room, Brandon Graham waited to hold court.

Graham’s locker stall, home or away for more than a decade, has become a ritualistic site of visitation for reporters. He’ll dish out some friendly banter, a few cackles, and an overarching message about the state of the team with the ever-optimistic disposition that’s helped define his 15-year career with the Eagles.

But in the aftermath of the team’s 37-20 win over the Los Angeles Rams, try as he might to remain optimistic, it was different for Graham as he announced he’ll miss the remainder of the season — what may be his final season — with a triceps injury.

“Yeah, I’m done,” Graham said of his season. “For real. I’m out for the rest of the year. Right here. I tore my tricep.”

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Graham was able to turn back the clock for most of Sunday’s game and the season overall, but Father Time won out in the end. The 36-year-old defensive end wasn’t ready to say for certain if he had just played his final game, but said he’d be at peace if Sunday was the end of a career spent becoming an Eagles legend.

“I’m just trying to process everything right now,” Graham said. “I ain’t got that far. But, I’m going to keep my spirits up, keep enjoying it, because we’ve got a special team right now.”

“At the end of the day, if I had to go out like this, I love the way I gave it everything out there on the field,” Graham added later. “All I know is they ain’t done with me yet. I’m going to make sure I go out there and be the best leader I can be, like I always do.”

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni wouldn’t confirm that Graham will miss the rest of the season, instead saying he’s “holding out hope” pending further tests.

“I love him, he’s one of my favorite guys I’ve ever been able to coach,” Sirianni said. “We’ll see where it is. I’m not ready to talk about it yet. We’re holding out hope.”

Graham, the team’s first-round pick in 2010, has been one of the Eagles’ most reliable defensive linemen this season despite going into the year expected to play a limited role. He played 46% of the team’s defensive snaps going into Sunday, up from the 35% he played last season and for good reason. Against the Rams, he had two tackles for losses, one sack, three quarterback hits, and one pass breakup. He moved to third all-time in career sacks for the franchise with 76½, trailing only Trent Cole and Reggie White.

The intangible impact he has had off the field may be even greater. Graham has been a team captain for each of the last six seasons and went into the year as the longest-tenured player in the organization.

Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson, the second-longest-tenured Eagle behind Graham, said he was “devastated” when Graham told him the news.

“I love BG like a brother,” Johnson said. “There’s nobody who has more respect in the building than him, not just for what kind of player he is but what kind of captain he is, what kind of mentor he is to the young guys. He does a lot of stuff behind closed doors that people don’t see. That’s why people love BG. He’s a genuine guy. I’m devastated for him, especially with the year he was having, too. I’m hurting for him.”

Eagles running back Saquon Barkley added, “I’ve only been able to be his teammate for such a short period of time. But I felt like I’ve known him for my whole life. He’s the reason why this transition for me has been so easy. Him, along with all the other guys. … But the energy and the passion that he brings, not only to this team, but to this city, he epitomizes what it means to be a Philadelphia Eagle and all of us got to get in line and try to follow and accomplish the things that he accomplished.”

Graham came out midway through the fourth quarter after getting chipped by a Rams running back and got looked at by trainers, who Graham said were quick to tell him the grim diagnosis. Before going back to the locker room, Graham had a lengthy embrace with Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who Graham said prayed with him.

Once he got inside, he called his wife.

“I let her know the news, and the kids were crying,” Graham said. “But at the end of the day, it is what it is. No sense in crying about it, just got to know that I put everything into it. It hurt, but I’m telling you, I’m going to be better from it.”

Multiple Eagles players noted that Graham addressed the team in the locker room after the game, but didn’t tell them he’d be out for the rest of the season. Sirianni also gave him a game ball in the postgame locker room.

Some Eagles players seemed to learn the severity of his injury by overhearing Graham speak to reporters while others learned for the first time when asked about their veteran teammate. Some, including Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata, learned about Graham’s injury on the field.

“I’m just gutted, man, honestly,” Mailata said. “I can’t even process it yet. I started crying when I saw him and as I walked back in from the sideline, and I came in here and started crying again. … I haven’t really had time to process it, man, BG means a lot to me.”

Hurts added, “It’s very unfortunate for the man, first, and the teammate second. A guy that has endeared himself to this franchise, has always tried to uplift those and really just teach the younger guys that are coming in. … I know the man, the conversations that we’ve been fortunate to have. It’s unfortunate.”

A few hours after his trademarked trash talk was picked up on the referee’s microphone during the coin toss, Graham was still up to his antics between unpacking the weight of his injury postgame. Three questions into his media scrum, fending off the emotion of the moment with surrounding teammates watching, some seemingly learning the severity of his injury in real time, Graham cracked a smile and a joke.

“I’ll keep bringing the energy and let people know how lucky they are that I am out,” Graham said, cackling.