Fresh off of a brief retirement, Philadelphia Eagles legend Brandon Graham is poised to make his season debut against the Packers in Green Bay on Monday Night Football. Needless to say, Graham is excited for the opportunity to be back out on the field with his teammates.
"I'm excited, man. No expectations, just going out there, just like it's been in practice," Graham said. "It's been [me] enjoying the time. And I'm just excited to see these boys, because they put some work in this weekend. Just bringing the energy, man."
We’ll have to wait until the game starts to see how much gas Graham has left in the tank, but the two-time champion has had some promising practice moments since his return, and he’s even shocked himself with his lack of rust a couple times.
"I was honestly shocked myself, just on like, 'Wow, OK. I can do this for real,'" Graham said. "Because this is my first time coming off the couch for real and coming right into it. It's great. [I] feel fresh. [I] feel like I've been training, getting ready for Training Camp, and now I'm going through my little Training Camp phase of the three weeks I've been going in practice and stuff, even during the Bye Week. Now I'm just excited to go out there and just play one game at a time."
Graham enters the game against the Packers as the Eagles’ all-time leader in games played with 206 – a mark that he’ll get to add to every time he steps on the field this season.
The hope is that Graham can provide the Eagles with a pass-rushing boost for the remainder of the season. Through eight games, Philadelphia has recorded just 16 total sacks. Only four teams – Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals – have recorded fewer. With 76.5 career sacks to his name, Graham should be able to help in that regard.