Eagles' Brandon Graham returns to practice ahead of Super Bowl as he recovers from triceps injury
Published in Football
PHILADELPHIA — Brandon Graham returned to Eagles practice Thursday, marking a meaningful boost for the veteran defensive end’s chances of completing a comeback for Super Bowl LIX just two months after suffering a torn triceps.
Graham, 36, initially said his season was over after he sustained the injury in Week 12 against the Los Angeles Rams. After the Eagles clinched a Super Bowl berth in a win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday, though, Graham hinted in the postgame locker room that an early return might be on the table.
When he was asked about it Tuesday, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni did not have an update on whether Graham would be healthy enough to come off injured reserve. However, the Eagles announced Thursday that they opened the 21-day practice window for Graham ahead of their afternoon session at Lincoln Financial Field.
“We’ll see how the week works out and the two weeks work out,” Sirianni said Tuesday.
During the early portion of practice open to the media, Graham went through the team’s warm-up period and joined the rest of the defensive line in individual drills. He wore a brace over his left arm.
According to the New York Times and Forbes.com, torn triceps injuries typically take between five and six months to fully recover.
When asked about his potential return for the Eagles' rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs on Feb. 9, Graham said on his WIP-FM show Monday that his plan was to see how things progressed each day.
“I feel good. I do feel good,” Graham said. “This has been the easiest, I will say, injury out of the injuries I’ve had. And I’m just saying that because upper-body stuff is a little easier ... taking a shower, all the little things you take for granted until you’re out and you’re on crutches and stuff like that.
“This time around, it’s just more about making sure I’m building muscle, making sure I’m getting stronger and doing the right things where I’m not hurting it to where I can re-hurt it. I know for me, man, we’re going to see what the doctor says, see what’s going on, and then we’ll go from there.”
Despite entering what he conceded may be his final season and expected to have a limited role, Graham was one of the team’s most productive pass rushers before going on IR. He had 3 1/2 sacks, seven tackles for losses, and 20 total tackles while playing 46% of the team’s defensive snaps.
Eagles second-year edge rusher Nolan Smith saw an uptick in playing time in Graham’s absence and has been productive as well, leading the Eagles with four sacks.
The team also opened the practice window for veteran tight end C.J. Uzomah, who missed the last four games with an abdominal injury.
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