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  • Jalen Hurts takes the blame, Nick Sirianni is ‘thankful for adversities,’ and more from the ‘Hard Knocks’ premiere

    Jalen Hurts takes the blame, Nick Sirianni is ‘thankful for adversities,’ and more from the ‘Hard Knocks’ premiere

    Hard Knocks has come to Philadelphia … in more ways than one.

    The famed HBO documentary series premiered the first episode of its in-season special Tuesday, bringing NFL fans a behind-the-scenes look at each team in the NFC East.

    The episode is the first of eight, with subsequent releases planned each Tuesday night until Jan. 20.

    The premiere gave viewers a look into Nick Sirianni’s leadership, the Eagles’ loss to the Dallas Cowboys, and explanations for crucial missed plays against the Chicago Bears.

    Here’s what you may have missed from the first episode of Hard Knocks: In Season With the NFC East …

    The Eagles have lost two in a row — and four of their last eight games — as Nick Sirianni continues to look for answers.

    ‘Thankful for adversities’

    Before any flashy credits or highlights came across the screen, Hard Knocks provided coverage on the reigning champion Eagles, just not in the way Philly fans like.

    An alternate history of 2023, and why the Eagles are preaching the right message

    The show opens with a conversation between Sirianni and Brandon Graham inside the Eagles’ practice facility. Discussing the Eagles’ upset loss to the Cowboys, Sirianni celebrates having to overcome adversity while commenting that players need to focus more on improving instead of complaining.

    “Little setback,” Sirianni said. “No one wants to go through adversity until they go through it and be like, ‘Man, I needed that [expletive].’ Like last year, we had to go through that. Unfortunately, we had to go through ’23 to get to where we got last year.

    “Same [expletive] here. Sometimes we get like, ‘Man, I don’t like what I am going through right now.’ Then fix it.”

    Replied Graham: “It’s good, because it’s shaping up to see who you are, too.”

    Following a quick introduction to the docuseries by narrator Liev Schreiber, which included tongue-in-cheek remarks about the Tush Push while the Impressions’ “Keep on Pushing” played in the background, the episode’s focus transitioned back to the Birds’ 21-point blown lead at AT&T Stadium.

    Listening to the Cowboys’ sideline, lowlight after lowlight is shown of the Eagles’ poor second-half performance — rubbing salt in a still-fresh wound for Philly fans.

    The show checked in with the Cowboys, Giants, and Commanders — who all seemed to show more positivity than the Eagles throughout the episode, despite having a worse record, a head coach fired, and an injured starting quarterback, respectively — before cycling back to left tackle Jordan Mailata addressing media criticism on 94 WIP.

    What we know (and don’t) about the Eagles entering Week 14 vs. the Chargers

    The former seventh-round pick claimed that criticism toward Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, the offensive line, and Saquon Barkley has brought the team closer together — echoing Sirianni’s previous comments regarding adversity.

    “It’s bringing us closer,” Mailata said. “It’s bringing us closer, man. We know what we have, and we’ve just got to keep going to work. When crap hits the fan, what I know how to do best is just go back to work and put your head down, and you go out there, and you have another chance on Friday — just play your heart out.”

    Sirianni brought the point home in a continuation of his talk with Graham when he doubled down on his positive outlook on the Eagles’ struggles.

    “I’m always thankful for adversities because I see every adversity as a way to come together as a football team,” Sirianni told Graham. “It’s not that you’re enjoying it or it’s pleasant going through it, but I am sure thankful for the adversities I went through to be where I am today.”

    Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo has received much of the blame from fans, but quarterback Jalen Hurts took responsibility for the team’s loss to the Bears.

    Hurts takes the blame

    Hard Knocks also brought fans directly into the Birds’ preparation leading up to the team’s 24-15 loss to Chicago on Black Friday. The episode showed a focused Sirianni projecting the Bears logo on the screen at a team meeting, and Hurts delivering his signature “keep the main thing the main thing” line.

    There were also small glimpses into Jeff Stoutland’s offensive line meetings, Scot Loeffler’s quarterback room, and Kevin Patullo’s presentation to the offense — providing insight into the team’s sense of urgency in fixing that side of the ball.

    “When we look back, we don’t want to say, ‘Oh woulda, coulda, shoulda,’” Patullo said. “[Expletive] that. We’ve got to fix it now.”

    Yes, Jalen Hurts is the ‘problem’ for the Eagles, not Kevin Patullo: So what? | Marcus Hayes

    When the show reaches the moment when the Eagles have their chance to fix it — last week’s matchup with the Bears — viewers get a glimpse into what actually went wrong for the Birds against Chicago.

    First on the docket was Hurts’ uncharacteristically errant pass to DeVonta Smith in the second quarter — one that turned a would-be touchdown into a field-goal attempt — which we now know was caused by a missed hand signal Hurts sent Smith before the snap.

    “When I pointed like this — that’s my fault, I thought you was going to settle down,” Hurts said to Smith after the play. “… [Expletive], that’s a play I’ve got to make.”

    “Y’all keep doing what y’all doing,” Hurts said while addressing his wide receiver group and offensive line. “Here we go, we’re going to finish the next one, that’s a play I make.”

    On the verge of scoring once again, another mistake prevented a score — a fumble during a Tush Push play in the third quarter, for which Hurts once again took the blame.

    “That’s me,” Hurts said after the play. “[Expletive] I did. Trying to secure the ball and he came straight in there and gutted it out. That’s on me, I’ve got to protect the [expletive] ball.

    Despite all the negative attention toward Patullo, including the recent vandalism of his home, it seems Hurts is the first to step up to take the blame for the Eagles’ poor performance.

    NFL Week 14 power rankings roundup: Faith in the Eagles is dwindling after another ugly loss
    Wide receiver A.J. Brown had his best game of the season against the Bears, but the Eagles still lost.

    Keep an eye on these two

    Hard Knocks, known for its drama and fireworks, surprisingly did not feature anything from A.J. Brown after his recent comments regarding the Eagles’ struggle on offense.

    But after Brown scored coming out of halftime against the Bears, the star wide receiver did share a brief interaction with Patullo — an interaction that may interest those who want to learn more about the pair’s relationship.

    “I told you,” Patullo said after Brown’s touchdown. “You told me, I told you.”

    As the series and the Eagles’ offensive woes continue, interactions between Brown and Patullo will continue to be scrutinized. And all Eagles fans can do is hope that Patullo and Brown keep telling each other whatever it takes to put more points on the board.

  • How the Eagles are helping this ‘childhood cancer warrior’ show other kids they’re not fighting alone

    How the Eagles are helping this ‘childhood cancer warrior’ show other kids they’re not fighting alone

    Standing alongside his parents and his six siblings, Caleb Quick posed for a photo with Brandon Graham and Milton Williams, wearing a gray shirt that stated, “I kicked cancer’s butt.” After the photo, Caleb untangled the yellow wristbands in his right hand and handed them to both players. The bracelets read: For Childhood Cancer Warriors.

    “People see football players as heroes,” Caleb said. “So, when the kids look at them they’ll see their heroes wearing the bands to support them.”

    When speaking with Caleb, you learn he loves the typical 10-year-old hobbies. He loves to play board games, he loves riding roller coasters, and he loves football. But if you ask him more about himself, you’ll also learn it’s his mission to raise awareness for pediatric cancer after he was diagnosed with leukemia at just 5 years old.

    Caleb Quick and his family have made it their mission to battle pediatric cancer after he was diagnosed with leukemia at 5 years old.

    The Quick family isn’t your typical family. In fact, they’re quite hard to miss. Naomi and her husband, John, are raising seven kids all under the age of 17. Their youngest is Hannah, who is 6 years old, then it’s Caleb, 10; Noah, 12; Grace, 13; James, 14; John Daniel, 15; and their oldest daughter, Chara, 16.

    The Delaware natives have already combined their mission to raise awareness for pediatric cancer with their love for roller coasters, riding more than 100 of them from Minnesota to Tennessee.

    “Our family just kind of draws attention,” Naomi said. “So people kind of look anyway so we use that to our advantage. We would wear foundation T-shirts to the different parks to raise awareness for the different foundations that help childhood cancer. It was raising awareness in this really fun way that didn’t leave people sad. Instead it was more hopeful.”

    His friendship with Brandon Graham helped this 8-year-old survive. Now ‘Mighty Mason’ wants to give his hero a special trophy.

    Some of these foundations included: B+ Foundation, the Landon Vargas Foundation, Live Like Lucas, Project Outrun, and Kisses for Kyle. Caleb’s Give Kids the World passport, which grants families free access to parks around the country, made this mission possible.

    “Childhood cancer is like a roller coaster that no one wants to get on,” Naomi said. “It is full of ups and downs and it makes you feel sick sometimes. And life is a roller coaster in general. But kids should get to ride coasters. Not have to fight cancer.”

    Now, the Quicks are ready to raise awareness through the family’s next love: football.

    Caleb Quick (second from left) and his family also share a love for roller coasters, and have used that passion to further their mission of supporting pediatric cancer awareness.

    ‘Bad luck’ for the Quicks

    Just months before Caleb was diagnosed with leukemia, his father, John, had just battled ocular melanoma, the most common eye cancer in adults. “Both him and Caleb had genetic testing done and there’s no link between the two,” Naomi said. “So, it’s just like a really bad situation. I don’t know what else to call it, bad luck.”

    John was diagnosed in 2019 and was declared cancer free in January 2020 after he was treated by sewing in radiation seeds into his eyeball, the procedure ended up taking the vision from his right eye. Seven months later, Caleb was diagnosed with leukemia.

    Naomi remembers bringing Caleb to the emergency room in August 2020, after Caleb was complaining about being tired and having knee pain. She wasn’t expecting her next conversation with the doctor to be something so life changing.

    Caleb Quick was in remission within 28 days, but continued treatment for another two years.

    “To have a doctor sit across from you and tell you that you’re really spunky, climbs-all-over-everything, never-settles-down kid has cancer was …” Naomi said before falling silent.

    Caleb’s initial hospitalization at the Nemours Children’s Hospital in Wilmington was 22 days. Within the first three days, Naomi said, Caleb couldn’t walk and he was covered from head to toe in bruises.

    “It was a really quick progression, and then he developed blood clots unfortunately in his central line, which meant he had to be on blood thinners for a good portion of his treatment as well,” Naomi said. “It was definitely a little bit more complicated than even just the regular treatment.”

    By that November, after months of physical therapy and using a walker to move around the house, Caleb rebuilt his muscles and learned to walk again. However, he still has slight residual weakness in one leg from chemotherapy.

    Caleb was in remission within 28 days. But due to a high rate of relapse without the maintenance period of chemotherapy, his treatment lasted another 25 months. His official Ring the Bell date was Oct. 22, 2022. Right after his last dose, he went home to ring the bell in front of his family.

    When asked what he wanted to do with his meds and supplies, Caleb responded: “I wanted to burn them.”

    Flyers Charities and Michael’s Way to team up to renovate the home of a local teen with cancer

    Of course, they didn’t burn the medicine. But they did throw a big party and burned a few papers to signify he was done with his treatment. And throughout the Quick family’s battle with cancer — not once, but twice — they gained an even stronger sense of community.

    “Our family has seen those really hard times bring us closer together and make us stronger,” Naomi said. “For all of us, we learned to get through hard times doing it as a family and doing it together. Nobody here had to fight alone, which was good. But that can’t be said for all the other families and so I think it’s really made us more aware and more passionate about fighting on behalf of other families that are going through their own cancer battle.”

    Brandon Graham, whose mother overcame leukemia, gave inspiration to Caleb Quick during his battle with cancer.

    ‘Football was the saving grace’

    On Sept. 19, 2022, Caleb had finished one of the biggest chemo days he had left in his treatment. Later that night, he and his family attended the Eagles’ home opener against the Minnesota Vikings.

    The Eagles invited the Quicks to the sideline before the game after learning that they were divided between Vikings and Eagles fans. “It’s split 5-4 in favor of the Eagles, I’m proud to say,” Naomi said. “The Vikings fandom comes from their father’s Minnesota roots.”

    Caleb Quick (left) and his family pose with Brandon Graham at the Eagles’ 2022 home opener against the Vikings. The family is split between Eagles and Vikings fans due to their father’s Minnesota roots.

    Caleb is a fan of both teams. So it was a dream come true for the family to witness both teams in action. Before the game, Graham walked over, welcoming the family with a sweaty hug and words of encouragement.

    “He looked at me and he said, ‘My mom had leukemia as a kid and she was told she would never have kids, and look where I am,’” Caleb remembered.

    A few weeks earlier, Caleb took part in the Phillies’ Childhood Cancer Awareness Night, and got to meet then-first lady Jill Biden.

    Caleb Quick (left) got to meet Jill Biden, then the first lady, and many Phillies players during Childhood Cancer Awareness Night in 2022.

    Two weeks later, toward the end of his treatment, Caleb took a dive in health. The cumulative effect of over two years of chemo had taken its toll on his body. He developed three different viral infections and four different bacterial infections.

    “It was a little scary, and I just remember thinking to myself, replaying those words that Brandon had spoken. He did say that, ‘With God, all things are possible. He’s a fighter, he’s going to make it,’” Naomi recalled. “And I just held onto that because I needed that encouragement. And to have it come from somebody who is a hero to the community, it was a really special interaction.”

    Football has always played a special role for the Quick family, through both Caleb’s and John’s cancer battles. For John, it was an escape. For Caleb, it was an inspiration.

    “John was diagnosed right in the middle of the football season,” Naomi said. “So, football games were this way that we could have normal family time. It was just kind of an escape from reality during both of their cancer fights. Meanwhile, football was an inspiration for Caleb to walk again.

    “Football was the saving grace, and like I said, when he lost his ability to walk, he would say, ‘Mom, I can’t play in the NFL anymore.’ He wants to play in the NFL and he can’t do that if he can’t walk.”

    Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith was wearing his yellow bracelet in support of childhood cancer awareness when he caught this touchdown against the Tennessee Titans in December 2022.

    ‘For childhood cancer warriors’

    During the 2022 season, Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith wore a yellow wristband given to him by 10-year-old Nicholas Purificato, who was battling Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare bone cancer. Starting that October, Smith wore the bracelet every day at practice and during games to support his fight.

    One day, Caleb spotted the yellow bracelet and looked up at his mom and said, “Mom, No. 6, Smith, he cares about kids like me. Look at those bands,” Naomi recalled.

    At that moment, she ordered similar yellow bands for her son, with the words “For childhood cancer warriors” and a gold ribbon engraved on them.

    A look at the custom cleats and causes the Eagles are supporting for NFL’s My Cause My Cleats initiative

    At last year’s Big Climb, a fundraiser for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, Caleb met Milton Williams and Tarron Jackson, a pair of former Eagles defensive ends. Williams, who signed with the New England Patriots this offseason, shared his story about his mother’s battle with breast cancer and proudly accepted Caleb’s bracelet. A few months later, Williams was still wearing the bracelet.

    “We offered him one and then he took a whole bag to the locker room and passed them out,” Naomi said. “We ended up seeing the team pictures later in August and he was wearing them in his team pictures. Caleb was showing it to all of his friends and family. It was a cool moment.”

    But it’s not just Caleb and Naomi’s mission to raise awareness for pediatric cancer. After watching Caleb battle leukemia at such a young age, his siblings have made it their mission as well.

    “Since we know how hard it is for kids to go through cancer, we know that other families who have to go through the same thing, it’s hard for them too,” said Caleb’s sister Grace. “So, when you raise awareness, those families know that you care.”

    Caleb’s older brother J.D. added: “If they’re wearing bands and they’re asked by a reporter why they’re wearing them, then people start to wonder more about cancer because a lot of people don’t know a whole lot about cancer until somebody they know has had it.”

    The Quick family’s ultimate goal is to get bracelets to all 32 teams in the NFL.

    “September is childhood cancer awareness month and it really doesn’t get as much publicity as some other awareness months do, which is odd,” Naomi said. “It seems to be that you have to be in this world to know a lot about it. So, our hope was that if we could get to all 32 teams, then kids across the country, no matter who they’re rooting for, will know that there are people rooting for them. Every child deserves that. Every kid deserves to know that they’re not fighting alone.”

    As of October, Caleb was moved to annual visits after his three-year off treatment lab results came back perfect.

  • Eagles-Packers: Latest on ESPN-YouTubeTV dispute, Jason Kelce’s serious turn, and more

    Eagles-Packers: Latest on ESPN-YouTubeTV dispute, Jason Kelce’s serious turn, and more

    The Eagles will play their first game in 15 days when they take on the Green Bay Packers tonight on ESPN’s Monday Night Football.

    Unfortunately, some fans in Philly and across the country won’t be able to tune in.

    An ongoing dispute between YouTube TV and Disney has left ESPN, ABC, and a handful of other channels dark on the so-called “skinny bundle” for more than a week, with no end in site.

    The two sides continued to negotiate throughout the day Monday but remained far apart on dollars — Disney wants more money than parent-company Google wants to pay.

    On Sunday, hopes of a potential deal got dimmer when YouTube TV announced a $20 credit for customers due to the continued outage of Disney’s channels.

    YouTube TV has grown into the third-largest cable distributor in the country with about 10 million subscribers, trailing only Comcast and Charter. Not surprisingly, ESPN’s college football and Monday Night Football ratings were down slightly last week, which most experts attribute to the blackout.

    Networks ending up blacked out over carriage disputes is rare, and ones lasting this long are even rarer, though they happen. TelevisaUnivision has been dark on YouTube TV since late September, and Disney-owned Fubo hasn’t had TNT or TBS since April 2024 due to a carriage dispute with Warner Bros. Discovery.

    It’s the first of two Monday Night Football appearances this season for the Eagles. Hopefully, this dispute is settled before the Birds take on the Los Angeles Chargers on ESPN Dec. 8.

    Here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream Eagles-Packers.

    How to watch Eagles at Packers

    • Where: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisc.
    • When: 8:15 p.m., Monday
    • TV: ABC, ESPN (Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters, Laura Rutledge)
    • Radio: 94.1 WIP (Merrill Reese, Mike Quick, Devan Kaney)
    • Streaming: ESPN Unlimited

    How to stream Eagles at Packers

    There are plenty of options to stream Eagles-Packers tonight.

    While ESPN will likely remain blacked out on YouTube, there are a host of services that will stream tonight’s Monday Night Football game.

    The most obvious is ESPN Unlimited, the network’s new subscription streaming service that includes every game that airs on all 12 ESPN networks. The service runs $29.99 a month.

    You can also stream tonight’s game on a host of other skinny bundles, including Hulu + Live TV ($64.99 a month for three months), Sling ($4.99 for one day pass, $60.99 a month), Fubo ($84.99 a month with a free trial), and DirecTV Stream ($94.99 a month with a free trial).

    If you’re just planning to watch the game on your phone or tablet, you can stream it on NFL+, the league’s mobile subscription streaming service. NFL+ runs $6.99 a month.

    Because the game is simulcasting on ABC, most fans who live in and around Philadelphia and other cities should be able to stream the game for free using a digital antenna.

    6abc’s signal in Philadelphia can be finicky. The station suggests an all-band antenna that covers Low-VHF, High VHF and UHF with long elements (rabbit ears for those of you old enough) that should be fully extended.

    The Channel Master website has specific information about what channels are available using your address.

    Jason Kelce takes a serious turn on tonight’s Monday Night Countdown

    Eagles offensive lineman Tyler Steen (left) was interviewed by Jason Kelce for “Monday Night Countdown” ahead of Birds-Packers.

    In his second season with ESPN, former Eagles star Jason Kelce has become known for his crowd-pleasing antics and fun-loving outfits, from his “South Philly tuxedo” to a Bills Mafia getup inspired by Fred Flintstone.

    For tonight’s game, Kelce took a more serious tone for a featured story about Rodney Davis, the grandfather of Eagles offensive lineman Tyler Steen, whose heroic death during the Vietnam War saved the lives of several members of his platoon.

    Davis was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor after jumping on a grenade that landed in a bunker where he and five other soldiers were pinned down by enemy fire in 1967. He was 25, the same age Steen is now.

    “He gave his life for his, for his …” said an emotional Samantha Steen, Davis’ daughter and Steen’s mother. “He gave up his life for other Marines.”

    Kelce signed a three-year deal with ESPN last season, just one of the many post-Eagles gigs the future Hall of Famer lined up for himself. The fate of one of those gigs — a limited late-night show on ESPN2 during the playoffs — has yet to be announced.

    Quinta Brunson, Shane Gillis will be guests on the Manningcast

    “Abbott Elementary” star Quinta Brunson at a Phillies game in August.

    Peyton and Eli Manning will be back on ESPN2 tonight for the Manningcast, and they’ll be welcoming some Philly star power to their Monday Night Football alternative broadcast

    Quinta Brunson, the star and creator of Abbott Elementary, and comedian Shane Gillis will appear as guests tonight. It’s unclear when either will join the show.

    Also joining the show will be Disney CEO Bob Iger, a lifelong Packers fan whose appearance coincided with the company’s dispute with YouTube TV.

    It’ll be the sixth time the Eagles have appeared on the Manningcast, which is quietly in its fifth season at ESPN. Last season, Peyton and Eli turned to Downingtown native Miles Teller during the Eagles’ loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2.

    Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts — who attended the Mannings’ quarterback camp while a sophomore at Alabama — was a guest in 2022, where he revealed he liked to watch game tape of former San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers and wore a hoodie with the phrase, “God bless whoever hating on me.”

    The newest episode of Manning’s ESPN+ show, Peyton’s Places, was also Eagles-centric. It featured a trip to Philadelphia to learn about the origins of the Tush Push from Kelce. Not surprisingly, Manning came away a fan.

    “Other teams, it’s a copycat league, and if you can copycat it, you will. If you can’t, then you probably complain that it’s not fair,” Manning told The Inquirer. “So I’m on the Eagles’ side of it. I think it’s their niche, and it works, and they make it happen.”

    NFC standings

    The Eagles were overtaken Sunday by the Seattle Seahawks, who moved into the top spot in the NFC thanks to their blowout win against the Arizona Cardinals.

    If the Eagles win tonight, they’ll move back into first place because they’d hold the tiebreaker against the Seahawks with a better conference record.

    NFC standings

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    NFC East standings

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    Eagles-Packers live updates

    Staff writers Jeff McLane, Olivia Reiner, and Jeff Neiburg will be covering the action live on Inquirer.com.

    Notes and observations about the game can be found at Inquirer.com/Eagles. Don’t forget to subscribe to our free Sports Daily newsletter.

    Eagles-Packers: Live updates

    Eagles news

    Brandon Graham will play his first game for the Eagles since retiring at the end of last season.

    Eagles 2025 schedule

  • Brandon Graham’s return to the Eagles, a can’t-miss podcast about a Philly sports villain, and other thoughts

    Brandon Graham’s return to the Eagles, a can’t-miss podcast about a Philly sports villain, and other thoughts

    First and final thoughts, rapid-fire style …

    The Philadelphia region, at least the healthy portion of the population that cares deeply about the Eagles, went gaga this week over the news that Brandon Graham was coming out of retirement and re-signing with the team. That reaction was, of course, expected and understandable.

    Graham was a terrific player, a favorite of the fans who rooted for him and the media who covered him. He made the most significant defensive play in franchise history. And he was now authoring a new chapter to his story — that of the old, beloved hero, riding back into town to save the day.

    Brandon Graham says he didn’t want to retire — and this isn’t the first time the Eagles tried to bring him back

    But those syrupy-sweet sentiments didn’t change the reality that the Eagles’ defense needed some saving. Ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the Giants, the Eagles rank 25th in the NFL in sacks, 22nd in pressure percentage, and 24th in rushing yards allowed per attempt. Yes, they’ve been missing Nolan Smith, and his eventual return should help, but even with him active, their defense would be thin up front.

    Look at it this way, from a colder, more clinical perspective: This week, the Eagles acquired a 37-year-old defensive end who retired after last season — a season in which he tore his triceps, sat out nine weeks, returned to play in the Super Bowl, then re-tore his triceps despite lining up for just 13 snaps in that game.

    If this player’s name weren’t Brandon Graham, we’d be focused a lot more on how desperate this team was to improve its lousy pass rush and find a defensive end who can set the edge.

    Sixers start with a win

    The 76ers’ season-opening victory over the Celtics on Wednesday in Boston was significant not just because VJ Edgecombe announced his presence with 34 points or because Tyrese Maxey dropped 40, but also because it felt like a transitional moment for the franchise and its future.

    Rookie guard VJ Edgecombe had a sensational debut in Boston with 34 points.

    Joel Embiid did not play at all over the game’s final 9 minutes, 18 seconds, and when he did play, he spent most of his time on the perimeter, running two-man action with Maxey and heaving long three-pointers. Perhaps he simply needs more time and more games to get back into playing shape, but for at least that night, the Sixers were better — freer, younger, more athletic — when he wasn’t on the floor.

    Recommended listening

    The latest episode of the podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out, in which the host and one of his correspondents, author and reporter Dave Fleming, dive into the (often-exaggerated and self-aggrandized) background and football expertise of Mike Lombardi.

    A former NFL executive and longtime acolyte of Bill Belichick, Lombardi is now the general manager of the University of North Carolina’s football program and is one of the sources of the controversy and ridicule that now surround the Tar Heels.

    Jalen Hurts has never been better in saving the Eagles against the Vikings

    Around here, though, Lombardi probably is best known for his regular appearances on WIP during Doug Pederson’s tenure as the Eagles’ coach — and for saying, less than a year before Super Bowl LII, that Pederson was “was less qualified to coach a team than anyone I’ve ever seen.”

    The episode is devastating for the way Fleming and Torre marshal facts and insights to demonstrate what some of us who have followed the Eagles for a long time have known for a long time: that Mike Lombardi is pretty much full of it.

    Bits and pieces

    A.J. Brown will not play Sunday. Which means somebody had better keep an eye on Jahan Dotson’s Instagram page. … Maybe, for all those years, Ben Simmons just had the under on himself. …

    Over his first seven games this season, Sean Couturier led the Flyers in points (eight) and, among their forwards, ice time (19:42 per game). It sure seems that he still has whatever John Tortorella thought he didn’t. … The only way the last four weeks could have gone worse for James Franklin is if a ground ball back to the mound had caromed off his ankle.

    The Eagles will be without A.J. Brown this week because of his hamstring injury.

    I don’t want to talk about it

    The Toronto Blue Jays are in the World Series for the first time in 32 years. The last time they were there, on Oct. 23, 1993, a group of friends and I were attending a Flyers game when we abruptly left in the middle of the third period, sprinted to my tuna-can ’85 Chevy Cavalier parked outside the Spectrum, piled in, and raced back to St. Katharine’s Hall at La Salle University … all to catch the final three innings of Game 6.

    The rest of my memories of that night are hazy and not worth mentioning.

    Bernie Parent was the best of the Flyers and the best of Philadelphia. RIP.
  • Brandon Graham brought the same old ‘juice’ in his first practice back with the Eagles

    Brandon Graham brought the same old ‘juice’ in his first practice back with the Eagles

    The Eagles who were around before this season knew what to expect when Brandon Graham rejoined the team for his first practice Wednesday after coming out of retirement earlier this week.

    The newbies had only heard the stories. Maybe they had met Graham in passing. Fellow edge rusher Joshua Uche recalled swapping jerseys with Graham after an Eagles-Patriots game in 2023. But when Uche joined the Eagles, it was in part because Graham was no longer with the team. “I just missed him,” Uche said.

    Graham had been around the NovaCare Complex before this week and had been working out, but this week he’s back in the meeting rooms and on Wednesday he went through his first practice. The Eagles tried to fill the void he left behind when Graham retired from football in March. They signed veterans like Uche, Azeez Ojulari, and Ogbo Okoronkwo in the offseason. They then added an even more experienced veteran in Za’Darius Smith after Week 1. But Smith, 33, lasted only five games before hanging up the cleats himself.

    Nothing could really replace all of the things Graham brought. And on Wednesday, make no mistake about it, Graham was back.

    “The energy he brings, the leadership he brings, and the juice he brings out there on the field, we needed that part of the engine back,” Uche said.

    What to expect from Brandon Graham? Here’s how other NFL players who unretired fared.

    Uche said Graham practiced normally and went through the day just like any other player in the position room.

    “It feels good today,” Graham said, still dressed in his pads outside his old locker stall after practice, the same stall recently vacated by Smith. “I’ll just say that. I ain’t going to go too crazy. But I felt good.”

    Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham practiced Wednesday for the first time since unretiring and said he felt good.

    Graham, who was listed as a full participant on the Eagles’ practice report, said he didn’t feel too far away from being in football shape because he has spent the last few months working out, many times at NovaCare. He did joke that he tapped his helmet to come out after only a few plays. Is he in good enough shape to play Sunday vs. the New York Giants?

    “We’re going to see, man,” Graham said. “I’m going to let Coach do that. Honestly, I’m just here to continue to keep affirming everybody with what they are and their ability.”

    How and when Graham performs remains to be seen, but that part — the leadership and the positive energy — should have an immediate impact.

    “It was a vibe, man,” rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell said of his first practice with Graham. “That’s the OG. I was fortunate enough to have a relationship with him outside of being here in his early retirement, I guess you could say. He brings nothing but positive vibes, man, great energy to the brotherhood that we have here. He’s just an all-around great dude. He’s like a guy where it’s like, you look at him and you smile and you got to say what’s up. He never has bad intentions, he’s never talking about nothing negative, he’s always going to bring you up.”

    And the trash-talking?

    “It’s safe to say it ain’t no act,” Campbell said. “That’s just organic, exactly who he is, and I saw it for myself.”

    Brandon Graham says he didn’t want to retire — and this isn’t the first time the Eagles tried to bring him back

    Campbell said it didn’t seem like Graham had been away from football “for three months or however long it was.”

    It was seven, but Graham said he knew he “wasn’t all the way done.” He was hoping the Eagles wouldn’t need him, but opportunity knocked as injuries piled up and Smith stepped away from the game. The Eagles reached out to him, and he and his wife, Carlyne, agreed it was right.

    Graham said he told his teammates that he’s “here to give you affirmations every day and work hard and let’s all be professionals and try to build this thing and get us another one.

    “It don’t matter how you start, it’s how you finish.”

    Graham knows that well, both from the perspective of the totality of his career — a draft bust who turned into the franchise’s all-time leader in games played — and in the micro sense of last season, when the Eagles started slowly and eventually won the Super Bowl.

    Brandon Graham announced his retirement from the Eagles in March. He unretired on Tuesday after just seven months out of football.

    Graham retired on top. He cried and gave a heartfelt speech next to two Super Bowl trophies. As far as storybook endings go, he had a perfect one after making a surprising return from injury to play in the Super Bowl in February.

    “Reality set in,” Graham said. “That story book will still be there, but reality set in. I still had the urge, and of course, I felt like I was still on my game last year. I still feel like I could help the team. If I didn’t feel like that, I wouldn’t be back and Howie [Roseman] wouldn’t have picked me up.”

    There is the risk that the ending to that story changes, and it’s something Graham said he talked about with Carlyne.

    “When you think about it, when Tom Brady and all them boys came back, you still say he got seven rings and he’s still going to tell the story,” Graham said. “If I still feel like I can play, why not?

    “I just feel like I still got a duty to come in and help because I feel like I still got a lot of juice left.”

    The Eagles, new and old, got a taste of that Wednesday.

  • AI’s memories of Philly sports fans, Jason Kelce’s ‘humbling’ workout with the Eagles, and more from ‘New Heights’

    AI’s memories of Philly sports fans, Jason Kelce’s ‘humbling’ workout with the Eagles, and more from ‘New Heights’

    Eagles legend Jason Kelce and his brother, Travis, broke down the Eagles’ Week 8 resurgence, yet another Tush Push-related controversy, Brandon Graham’s unretirement, and more on the latest episode of their podcast, New Heights, which featured 76ers legend Allen Iverson. Here’s what you missed:

    Enjoying an Eagles win

    The Eagles (5-2) snapped a two-game losing streak with a 28-22 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Jason, who spent 13 seasons as the Birds’ center, addressed the frustration from fans leading into the matchup, speaking from experience.

    “In Philly, when you’re struggling, they’re going to let you know, especially when the expectations are high,” he said.

    Grading the Eagles’ win over the Vikings

    But he had little sympathy for his former teammates, insisting that pressure from fans would push the team to climb out of the midseason struggles. He also addressed concerns about the running game, encouraging listeners to trust in “inevitable” running back Saquon Barkley.

    “Jalen Hurts has been under a lot of scrutiny,” he said. “I like it. Bring it on. I feel like the Eagles, when everybody doubts them early on, I would rather the fans get on them. It’s like, ‘We’re going to have to hunker down together and figure this thing out.’ Nine times out of 10, it makes the team better.”

    The brothers look forward to the Eagles’ rematch with the New York Giants on Sunday (1 p.m., Fox29) at Lincoln Financial Field. They emphasized the opportunity for vengeance after Jaxson Dart led the Giants to a 34-17 win on Oct. 9.

    Allen Iverson joins as a guest

    The Kelce brothers brought on another retired local sports legend in Iverson as a special guest. Iverson discussed his upcoming docuseries on Prime Video, Allen Iv3rson, and the emotional process of looking back on his career in Philadelphia.

    “I became a man in Philadelphia,” the former point guard said. “I was 21 years old when I went there. But they were with me throughout my turbulent life. … [The fans] always stood beside me, and that’s why that sentiment is everlasting.

    “[Philadelphia fans] are the most loyal, beautiful fans in the world. I just feel like there’s no other relationship between players and fans like it is there.”

    The Kelce brothers praised Iverson’s dedication and work ethic, which was emphasized in the docuseries.

    “In the doc, they said they had to hide your jersey to prevent you from playing while you were hurt,” Jason said.

    Prime Video’s ‘Allen Iv3rson’ docuseries shows the ‘raw, relentless, authentic heart’ of the Sixers legend

    Minnesota’s Tush Push strategy

    The Vikings debuted a new way to defend against the Eagles’ infamous Tush Push — by having defensive lineman Tyler Batty lie down on the line of scrimmage.

    Travis, the Kansas City Chiefs’ star tight end, brought up a viral X post depicting the controversial play. It ultimately was unsuccessful as the Eagles converted an attempt on third-and-1.

    Jason, however, was open to it.

    “I just liked watching the creativity of it,” he said. “[The Eagles] still got the first down. I understand their strategy, take out the guy’s legs and have the other guy go over the top. It’s a good strategy, and they didn’t get another opportunity to do it, so I would be curious to see what it would look like the more times they executed it.”

    @nflonfox

    Anything to stop the unstoppable #nfl #tushpush #eagles #vikings

    ♬ original sound – NFLonFOX – NFLonFOX

    BG is back

    The brothers also discussed a different athlete’s podcast.

    On Tuesday morning, defensive end Brandon Graham, 37, announced his decision to return to the NFL on his podcast, Brandon Graham Unblocked.

    Jason congratulated his former teammate as he embarks on his 16th season in Philadelphia.

    “I’m just happy that Brandon is doing what he wants to do,” he said. “He wants to continue playing, and the opportunity is there. To be honest, the Eagles can use him in multiple ways. Not just as a player, but his personality, he brings a lot to that locker room that I think would be awesome.”

    Can Brandon Graham fill the leadership void on the Eagles defense? | Marcus Hayes

    Travis responded with the natural question of whether Jason, also 37, would consider following in Graham’s footsteps. As for coming out of retirement, it was a hard no. But that did not stop Jason from completing a “humbling” three-hour workout with the Eagles last week.

  • What to expect from Brandon Graham? Here’s how other NFL players who unretired fared.

    What to expect from Brandon Graham? Here’s how other NFL players who unretired fared.

    Tom Brady was 44 when he retired for 40 days before he changed his mind and went back to the playoffs one more time with Tampa Bay in 2022.

    In 1974, former Eagles linebacker Maxie Baughan left his defensive coordinator gig at his alma mater, Georgia Tech, to go back to the NFL as a player-coach with Washington. He was a backup and played in two games.

    Brett Favre was 40 when he decided to come out of retirement for the second time and join the Minnesota Vikings in 2009. He stuck it twice to his old team, Green Bay, won the NFC North, then led the Vikings all the way to the NFC title game.

    Reggie White returned from retirement at 38 with the Carolina Panthers in 2000. He played in all 16 games but recorded his lowest single-season sack total (5½) in a Hall of Fame career.

    Can the return of Brandon Graham fill the leadership void on the Eagles defense?

    Then there’s Bronko Nagurski, who, in 1943, came out of retirement to play with the Chicago Bears, who needed players because many of theirs were fighting in World War II.

    All of this is to say not all unretirements are created equal.

    What does the historical data mean for Brandon Graham, who is back with the Eagles after retiring from football seven months ago? Maybe nothing — human bodies aren’t created equal, either. Or maybe something, as there may be relevant context.

    Former Eagle and Packer Reggie White (92) came out of retirement to sign with the Panthers in 2000.

    Is Reggie White’s case similar?

    White was 38 when he decided to end his one-season retirement to join the Panthers, and Graham turned 37 a few weeks after retiring in mid-March.

    But White, one of the best defensive ends of all time, was coming off a 16-sack, first-team All-Pro, Defensive Player of the Year 1998 season when he retired. Graham was playing well with the Eagles last year, but his season was cut short by injury, and his sack numbers dropped off a cliff one year earlier in 2023.

    White still was disruptive to opponents, but he wasn’t his normal high-production self in a more limited role in Carolina. It is a physical and demanding position, not that Graham needs any reminder of that.

    James Harrison went back to the Steelers for a second stint at age 36 in 2014.

    The Harrison comparison

    James Harrison officially retired in August 2014, but his retirement essentially lasted a similar length as Graham’s. Harrison played the 2013 season with Cincinnati and wasn’t in a training camp in the summer of 2014.

    But after the Steelers suffered some injuries early in the 2014 season, the linebacker was back with his former team at the age of 36. He was still productive, too, with 45 tackles and 5½ sacks in 11 games.

    Could unretired Brandon Graham play as soon as Sunday against the Giants?

    Harrison then signed a two-year contract with the Steelers and ended up playing three more seasons after returning in 2014. Don’t expect the same from Graham, but Harrison’s effectiveness as a pass rusher might be a good comparison for him.

    Tight end Jason Witten left the “Monday Night Football” broadcast booth to play for the Cowboys again in 2019.

    Witten still had a little in the tank

    Graham will go from the podcast studio to the locker room, similar to how Jason Witten went from the broadcast booth back to football.

    Witten, like Graham, was 37 years old when he rejoined the Dallas Cowboys in 2019 after one year of retirement. The tight end still had it. He caught 63 passes, four of them for touchdowns, and accumulated 529 yards in 16 games. His 2017 season line: 63 catches, 560 yards, five touchdowns.

    37 is popular

    Lucky No. 37? Deion Sanders was also 37, and he chose that number for the back of his jersey when he came out of retirement to play with Baltimore in 2004 after three seasons away from the game.

    Sanders played nine games in 2004, mostly as a nickel cornerback, and still had a knack for the football. He had three interceptions and returned one of them for a touchdown. He played all 16 games in 2005 and registered registering two interceptions and 30 tackles. He was fine, but he wasn’t Prime Time.

    Graham may be fine

    All of this is mostly a fun trip down memory lane. It’s unclear what kind of shape Graham is in or whether he has lost a step after being away for a short time. Every body is different.

    But Graham’s 2024 season can, at least, be a little instructive. He was an energy booster on the field, a veteran presence off it, and a really capable edge setter who helped the Eagles vs. the run.

    They could use that right now, and it’s not hard to imagine him being like Witten or Harrison in that he still can do what a team asks him to do.

    Brandon Graham says he didn’t want to retire — and this isn’t the first time the Eagles tried to bring him back

    Graham is the biggest of the edge rushers at 265 pounds, and he could be useful helping a defense that is allowing 4.6 yards per carry, the ninth-highest average in the NFL.

    The Eagles also could use some more volume from their pass rushers, and Graham was making an impact there before a torn triceps ended his regular season in Week 12 vs. Los Angeles. He sacked Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford before the injury, his fourth time getting home in 11 games (3½ sacks). Graham still could make an impact there, even if the Eagles aren’t asking for a large snap count out of him.

    The Eagles needed Graham, and it seems like he needed them, too. Time will tell if the play matches up to the presence.

  • Could unretired Brandon Graham play as soon as Sunday against the Giants?

    Could unretired Brandon Graham play as soon as Sunday against the Giants?

    The Eagles edge rusher corps is even more banged up following the win over the Minnesota Vikings than it was before the game, when rumors began to swirl about the end of Brandon Graham’s retirement.

    Azeez Ojulari exited Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury, making him the third edge rusher to be sidelined with an ailment through seven contests this season. Nolan Smith and Ogbo Okoronkwo are out with triceps injuries. Smith is expected to return in November following the Eagles’ Week 9 bye, and Okoronkwo is done for the year.

    Brandon Graham says he didn’t want to retire — and this isn’t the first time the Eagles tried to bring him back

    Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said Tuesday he doesn’t think Ojulari will be available to play Sunday against the New York Giants, the team that drafted him 50th overall out of Georgia in 2021.

    So could Graham suit up on Sunday, given that the Eagles have just three healthy, full-time edge rushers — Jalyx Hunt, Joshua Uche, and Patrick Johnson — on the active roster?

    The 37-year-old defensive end announced that he was coming out of retirement to rejoin the Eagles on Tuesday morning on his podcast, Brandon Graham Unblocked. Graham estimated that he would return to action after the bye week for the Eagles’ Monday night game against the Green Bay Packers.

    That timetable would give him three weeks, including the bye, to get up to speed. But Fangio left Graham’s potential return date open-ended.

    “We’ll see what kind of shape he’s in, what kind of retention he has from last year,” Fangio said. “Shape comes in two forms: one, just your conditioning, but in football shape, too. Contact shape. So hopefully the sooner the better.”

    Fangio said he had been “teasing [Graham] not to retire” since the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX victory in February. That ribbing continued into this season whenever Graham would visit the NovaCare Complex in an effort, Fangio said, to “try and light the fire.”

    Now, following the surprise retirement of Za’Darius Smith last week, Graham is back under Fangio’s tutelage. The Eagles defensive coordinator said Graham’s experience in his defense last season gives him some reassurance that the 15-year veteran will have retained that knowledge.

    Fangio wouldn’t put a number on Graham’s estimated snap count upon his return based on experience with other veteran edge rushers.

    “I don’t know,” Fangio said. “Now, he’s coming out of retirement and he’s older, but when I was in Chicago, we traded for Khalil Mack, who had missed the entire training camp, and the fatigue police said, ‘Hey, he can only play about 20-22 snaps in this game’ because we got him the week of the first game. I said, ‘OK.’ He played about 45. So I don’t know.”

    Dean’s return

    Sunday marked Nakobe Dean’s first defensive snaps in 280 days, dating back to the wild-card matchup against the Packers in which he suffered a patellar tendon injury in his knee.

    Dean had a busy afternoon. He played 31 defensive snaps (45%) at inside linebacker alongside Zack Baun.

    Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean played his first 31 defensive snaps on Sunday.

    Entering the game, Fangio said he had planned for Dean to solely take snaps at inside linebacker when the Eagles were in base defense. In nickel, Jihaad Campbell would replace him. However, Fangio adjusted that plan in-game, keeping Dean at inside linebacker in nickel for select plays and moving Campbell to the edge, a role the rookie had filled in select packages throughout the season.

    “I think he got about 30 plays, which I think was a good number, and the way they came was good, too,” Fangio said of Dean. “It wasn’t like he had 10 in a row, I don’t think. And I thought he did well. And I think we did the right thing in not playing him the week before, even though we technically could have.”

    Can the return of Brandon Graham fill the leadership void on the Eagles defense?

    Fangio said Dean did not play defensively the previous week against the Giants because he didn’t have enough practice time.

    “It would’ve been negligent on our part to put him out there without practice,” Fangio said.

    Campbell, the Eagles’ top pick out of Alabama, ended up playing 60 snaps (87%) on Sunday. That broke down to 32 at inside linebacker and 28 on the edge, according to Pro Football Focus. He generated just one quarterback pressure from the edge alignment, according to Next Gen Stats, on five pass rushes.

    “It’s new out there, particularly the packages he was going up there earlier were different than this week, this past game,” Fangio said of Campbell. “So there’s a lot to learn. There’s a lot to get comfortable with. The more he’s up there, the better he’ll get at it.”

    Cornerback carousel

    The Eagles saw continued movement at their second outside cornerback spot opposite Quinyon Mitchell when Adoree’ Jackson (concussion) left the Vikings game in the third quarter.

    Kelee Ringo took Jackson’s place, but he didn’t fare as well. Before exiting the game, Jackson had allowed just one reception for 11 yards, according to PFF. Ringo conceded three for 47 yards, including a 25-yarder to wide receiver Jordan Addison in the fourth quarter on a drive that sputtered in the red zone.

    Still, Fangio said Ringo did “fine” when he was called to action.

    “Some of the completions he’s given up, not all of them, but some of them have come on tough routes,” Fangio said. “So still think he can eventually be better than he’s been. His opportunities will keep coming, probably, and hopefully he’ll turn the corner.”

    Eagles cornerback Jakorian Bennett’s 21-day practice window can be opened this week.

    Another opportunity for Ringo to play could come against the Giants if Jackson isn’t cleared to return by then. But he might not be the only candidate for the job. Corner Jakorian Bennett, who has been on injured reserve with a pectoral ailment since late September, is eligible to have his 21-day practice window opened this week.

    The 5-foot-10, 200-pound Bennett was acquired from the Las Vegas Raiders during training camp in exchange for defensive tackle Thomas Booker. He saw limited action through three regular-season games, playing just 24 defensive snaps in spot duty.

    Fangio said his assessment of Bennett preinjury was “incomplete” because he didn’t play enough. He also hesitated to define his precise role upon his eventual return to the active roster.

    “He hasn’t practiced,” Fangio said. “You can’t practice when you’re on IR. So once we open up his window and get him on the practice field, see where he’s at, I can answer that better. But, obviously, he’s a guy we’ll take a hard look at.”

  • Brandon Graham says he didn’t want to retire — and this isn’t the first time the Eagles tried to bring him back

    Brandon Graham says he didn’t want to retire — and this isn’t the first time the Eagles tried to bring him back

    The Brandon Graham farewell tour of 2024 is getting a reboot.

    The 37-year-old defensive end officially announced his return to the Eagles on Tuesday morning on his podcast, Brandon Graham Unblocked, saying, “We’re coming back, baby. We’re coming back one time.”

    Additionally, the Eagles made the move official, announcing that they agreed to terms with Graham. He has a two-game exemption to ramp up that the team can lift at any time, so he doesn’t count against the active roster just yet.

    Graham initially retired in March following the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX win. He had been playing at a high level early in the year but suffered a torn triceps twice last season, once in Week 12 against the Los Angeles Rams and again in the Super Bowl, his first game back from the injury. Lifting the Lombardi Trophy for a second time seemed to serve as a natural ending to his Eagles tenure.

    Brandon Graham set to come out of retirement to rejoin the Eagles

    But it wasn’t his perfect storybook ending. Graham acknowledged on the podcast that he “would’ve been back, for sure” had Howie Roseman asked him to return for a 16th season.

    “I really didn’t want to retire in the beginning,” Graham said. “It was kind of tough. But it was like, ‘Hey, Philly right now, they’ve got everything they need.’ So it’s like, ‘All right, I ain’t see myself on no other team.’ So it was kind of like, ‘I think this the best way to do it is go out on top.’”

    Graham continued to stay in shape, though, and visited the NovaCare Complex. At the start of the season, Graham said Roseman contacted his agent in need of a veteran, inquiring if he would be interested in returning to the team. Graham said he wasn’t ready then.

    Brandon Graham announced his retirement from the Eagles on March 18.

    Roseman then signed Za’Darius Smith, a 33-year-old pass rusher, following the Eagles’ Week 1 win over the Dallas Cowboys to bolster the edge rusher corps. While Smith made an immediate impact, registering 1½ sacks through five games, he retired last week after 11 seasons in the NFL.

    But in the aftermath of that call with Roseman, Graham continued to think about how he would respond if he was approached with another opportunity. Graham took Smith’s surprise retirement as a sign. This time around, Graham was ready for his opportunity to return.

    Graham said he still feels like he has some “juice left” to give on the field, acknowledging that he feels “springy and bouncy.” He said that he’s eyeing the Eagles’ Week 10 matchup against the Green Bay Packers as a potential first game back, but he didn’t rule out Sunday’s game vs. the New York Giants.

    What we know (and don’t) about the Eagles entering Week 8 vs. the Giants

    Regardless, he’s open-minded about the role that awaits him.

    “I don’t have no expectations with it,” Graham said. “It’s just more like I’m going to just bring myself and bring the energy. Go out there, first play, ‘Oh, you thought I was done? You thought you wasn’t going to have to deal with me?’ Get to all that little fun stuff, man, because, obviously, we play a game that I enjoy playing. Of course, it was hard, because, just being honest, man, all of us, I don’t care how many years you play. It’s just something that you’re just used to all the time, and you’re trying to get used to that next-best thing.

    “Of course, I was doing a lot of stuff, but when that ball came and the Eagles was on, I was locked in. I know I’m going to get better with it as it goes, but, man, while I can still do it and the opportunity feels like it’s right, I feel like that’s exactly what I want to do. And that’s what I wanted to do in the beginning. But I know that it was Year 15, it’s just a great way to go out. But, hey, I don’t want to have no regrets, either.”

    Brandon Graham’s best Eagles moments, on and off the field, from the strip-sack to his great unblocking party

    Graham said he was “flattered and thankful” that the opportunity from the Eagles came back around. He added that he “might cry” coming out of the tunnel on Sunday.

    Not only is he looking forward to chirping at his opponents, but he’s also excited to bring his signature energy to his teammates for his first practice on Wednesday.

    “I can’t wait to go out there and be like, ‘Lane [Johnson], what’s good?’” Graham said.

  • Brandon Graham set to come out of retirement to rejoin the Eagles

    Brandon Graham set to come out of retirement to rejoin the Eagles

    Seven months after he gave a tear-filled speech announcing his retirement following 15 seasons with the Eagles, Brandon Graham is set rejoin the team, league sources told The Inquirer.

    Momentum toward a deal was building over the weekend, and league sources confirmed to The Inquirer Sunday that the wheels were in motion for Graham’s return to football.

    Graham on Monday night posted on social media a teaser to a Tuesday morning announcement that he’ll make on his podcast, Brandon Graham Unblocked. PHLY Sports, which hosts Graham’s podcast, said a deal was agreed to Monday.

    Graham, 37, is the Eagles’ all-time leader in games played with 206, a number he will add to, and his 76½ sacks rank third in team history. He returns to the Eagles at a time when they desperately need help at his position.

    An already thin group of edge rushers took a hit last week when Za’Darius Smith abruptly retired from football. Then Azeez Ojulari went down with a hamstring injury during the first quarter Sunday in Minneapolis. Nolan Smith and Ogbo Okoronkwo are both on injured reserve with triceps injuries. Smith is due back, likely after the Week 9 bye week, but Okoronkwo’s season is over.

    Jalen Hurts again roasts Carson Wentz; A.J. Brown says ‘Just throw me the bleeping ball’

    A reunion with the Eagles became more of a possibility as the injuries mounted, and Graham is a low-cost addition who adds depth and leadership to the defense. They still might make a move for another pass rusher. The rush had a stronger performance Sunday, with Joshua Uche earning his first sack of the season, but the edge rushers have not consistently gotten to quarterbacks for impact plays.

    The Eagles had an open spot on the 53-man roster and do not have to make a corresponding move after adding Graham.

    It’s unclear how much ramp-up time Graham will need before he sees the field. The Eagles play Sunday at home vs. the New York Giants before hitting their bye week. They come out of the bye with a Nov. 10 Monday Night Football game in Green Bay.

    Graham admitted he played better than he even expected last year during what was supposed to be his farewell tour of sorts. But his regular season ended when he suffered a torn triceps in a Week 12 win over the Los Angeles Rams, against whom he picked up his fourth sack of the season. It was possible at the time that Graham’s NFL playing career ended on the SoFi Stadium field, but he made a remarkable comeback to play in Super Bowl LIX.

    Brandon Graham got his fourth sack of the season against the Rams in Week 12, but he also suffered a torn triceps that kept him out until the Super Bowl.

    Graham logged 13 snaps during the Eagles’ blowout win in New Orleans in February, but he also suffered a second torn triceps. His retirement life has featured his own podcast, Brandon Graham Unblocked, and public appearances.

    How impactful will he be on the field? That question doesn’t have a clear answer. The Eagles entered Sunday with just nine sacks, and only six teams had fewer. They got two more Sunday, one from an edge rusher, but lost another in the process. Graham might be more useful at the start against the run, helping to set the edge.

    But players in the Eagles’ locker room Sunday, hours after reports surfaced that Graham’s reunion with the Eagles was possible, spoke more about his off-field presence.

    Graham would bring “the juice, the energy, the vibe,” linebacker Zack Baun said. “He just lives his life with so much to give. Obviously his play as well. I thought last year, him retiring, he was at the point where he could still do a lot and still go out there and play and play well. But I think we miss his vibe in the locker room.”

    Edge rusher Patrick Johnson, who has been with the Eagles since 2021, with a brief stop with the Giants last season, said he’d seen the rumors on social media. If Graham was to return, Johnson said he’d be a welcomed presence to his position group.

    “He’s going to bring that spark that we need for sure and that leadership,” Johnson said.

    Should Brandon Graham return to the Eagles? Why it does — and doesn’t — make sense.

    Graham’s former locker stall was given to Za’Darius Smith, whose role with the Eagles was to include a veteran presence for a position group in transition. Smith was logging 26-plus snaps per game with the Eagles, and while the team probably won’t ask Graham to step into that kind of workload, at least not right away, they will ask him to step back into that stall and assume his typical off-field duties.

    “BG is BG, man,” said defensive tackle Moro Ojomo, who leads the Eagles with three sacks. “He’s just an amazing guy. I love to be around that guy.

    “Jeffrey Lurie said it last year, said it perfectly, that there are people that are energy takers and energy givers and BG is an energy giver, and I think we all feel that.”

    As social media and sports radio chatter ramped up last week about a potential return, Graham tiptoed around the topic on his podcast last Wednesday.

    “You’re always going to feel like you can do something,” he said. “You want people to grow, too, and right now it’s hard for some people. It’s hard, especially for the young guys.

    “They got some battles that they got to fight, but if they do it together, they’ll be in a good spot.”

    Now, he’ll be part of helping that happen.

    Staff writer Jeff McLane contributed to this story.