The Philadelphia Eagles did not have a very triumphant end to their 2023 campaign.
Things started out well for the Eagles, as they got off to a 10-1 start and looked primed to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl once again. However, Philadelphia lost five of its last six regular-season games to finish 11-6, making it the first team in NFL history to not record 12 wins after winning 10 of its first 11 contests.
To put the cherry on top, Philly was then routed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.
While Nick Sirianni kept his job as head coach, there were sweeping changes to the rest of the Eagles’ staff, and defensive lineman Brandon Graham thinks the changes were much needed.
“We’ve got a good coach in (defensive line coach) Clint (Hurtt),” Graham said, via Kevin Patra of NFL.com. “I really think that last year we just didn’t. … That’s what we didn’t have. We didn’t have all the right coaches in the right position, I would say. You could just see the guys just truly believing in what we’ve got going on, and I’m excited for the young guys that just came in, the new rookies coming in. They’re really going to get a good shot and good taste of what it really is to be in the NFL.”
Philadelphia’s coaching staff was widely criticized last season, so it’s no surprise that Graham feels more comfortable with the new additions.
Brandon Graham Has Become a Role Player
There was a time when Graham was a focal point along Philly’s defensive front, but those days are long gone, as made obvious by the fact that he logged just 16 tackles and three sacks in 2023.
Still, Graham is just two seasons removed from racking up 35 tackles and a career-high 11 sacks, so maybe he still has something left in the tank.
Regardless, the Eagles will be relying on Graham’s experience and veteran leadership to help guide the club in 2024, as Graham has won a Super Bowl and has been a part of two of them.
The 36-year-old contemplated retirement after last season, but decided to return to Philadelphia on a one-year deal.
Graham, who played his collegiate football at the University of Michigan, was selected by Philly with the 13th overall pick of the 2010 NFL Draft.
He has spent his entire 14-year career with the Eagles, making one Pro Bowl along the way. That trip came in 2020, when he registered 46 tackles and eight sacks.
We’ll see if Philadelphia can recover after a brutal end to last year.
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