If Philly’s football gods are writing a new chapter, they sure know how to set the tone. One moment, Brandon Graham is wiping tears in a Jason Kelce-esque farewell, and the next, Jalen Hurts is holding up fingers like he’s counting rings. Fifteen years of grit and strip-sacks? That’s the Graham era. But as BG dropped his mic with a final “BG out, baby!” — the camera zoomed in on the guy stepping up: QB1.
Let’s be honest, Hurts didn’t just show up for the pictures. He walked on stage like it was a changing-of-the-guard ceremony… minus the drama and plus two Super Bowl trophies.
Now, just as the dust settles from another deep postseason run, it’s not the fans or analysts steering the “Is Hurts elite?” debate. It’s the locker room — and BG didn’t mince words. “Jalen Hurts, in my book, is a Top 5 quarterback… he automatically goes up there,” Graham told Kay Adams, laying down a verdict with the same force he used to send Tom Brady into strip-sack history. And honestly, who’s gonna argue with a man who literally bent time to rejoin a Super Bowl lineup after tearing his triceps?
Look, there’s no script for the perfect franchise QB. But Hurts seems to be freelancing his way into that role, cool as you like. Last season? Sacrificed stats so Barkley could feast. Got called a game manager. Then turned Arrowhead into a barbecue pit. MVP-level Super Bowl. Chiefs fans still crying into their Mahomes jerseys. Hurts? Just doing Hurts things — 293 yards, 3 touchdowns, broke another Super Bowl rushing record like it was light work.
Jalen Hurts is the No. 1 QB in the NFL after beating the GOAT says Brandon Graham
Do you agree?@heykayadams | @brandongraham55 | @Eagles pic.twitter.com/dAKCXBsLP1
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) April 9, 2025
Still, some folks wanted more proof. Darius Slay stirred the pot before jumping ship to Pittsburgh, leaving Hurts off his “elite list.” But let’s be real — even Slay couldn’t keep the receipts buried. “That is my brother always,” he said days later. Guilt texting, anyone? And then came DeVonta Smith, rolling through 7PM in Brooklyn like a hype man with stats. “Big 5,” he called it. Not a Mount Rushmore. Bigger. Hurts is on it.
Now, Kay Adams nailed the sentiment perfectly: Jalen Hurts had his “Brady strip-sack” moment — the kind that rewrites legacy books in bold ink. “He shut everybody up,” she said. And honestly, he did more than that. He buried the noise six feet deep in confetti. Beat Mahomes. Made it look easy. And in case you forgot, Hurts is now the only quarterback ever to lose a Super Bowl, come back, beat the same team, and walk away MVP. First to do it. First to run through that wall. Philly style.
So here we are. A 487-tackle legend leaves the locker room, and the quiet QB with the stoic glare and MVP hardware steps in, not asking for permission — just earning every inch. BG said it loud: “He’s my number 1.” And if you’ve watched this saga unfold, you know exactly what he means. The Eagles didn’t lose leadership when Graham retired. They just passed the mic.
Brandon Graham might not be completely retired
From the game, he’s 100% out. But you know, the voice in you just holding you back. Like they say, you can take a man out of football, but you can never take the football out from the man.
So, while it’s all goodbyes, and farewell to Brandon Graham, all the hugs, the Eagles chant, the mic drop… turns out the man might’ve left a tiny crack in the door. “I’m only 90% retired,” Graham casually dropped on Up & Adams, like it was just another Tuesday. Wait, what?
February 10, 2025: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes 15 slides and his tackled by Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham 55 in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, in New Orleans. – ZUMAm67_ 20250210_zaf_m67_011 Copyright: xTammyxLjungbladx
Now before you roll your eyes, consider this: how do you just walk away from something you’ve been doing since Pop Warner? How do you not hear that internal clock ticking when the pads come on and training camp buzz hits? Graham admitted it himself—he’s still got that itch.
“Maybe it’s just my body telling me to go lift a couple weights,” he joked. But jokes aside, if there’s even a 10% chance, you know this fanbase will hold their breath every time the Eagles post a cryptic “” on X.
Resume-wise, Graham’s already a Philly folk legend. Most games ever played by an Eagle. Over 500 tackles. 82 sacks. A pair of Super Bowl rings. And that unforgettable Brady strip-sack that’s basically tattooed in franchise lore. Honestly, if anyone earned the right to unretire just because they feel like it, it’s BG.
So here we are: 90% retired… 10% wildcard. And with Brandon Graham, that 10% hits like a blindside off the edge.
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