Eagles legend Brandon Graham had nothing but praise for head coach Nick Sirianni following his retirement announcement Tuesday, highlighting the coach's resilience during a turbulent 2024 season that ultimately ended with a Super Bowl championship.
"Nick Sirianni, I felt like he stayed true to who he was, and that's all it was," Graham said in an interview with Seth Joyner. "Of course, he had trouble when he heard different things because it's hard not to hear it. But I think for us in that position, we have a duty, and a lot of people look up to you."
Graham's comments come after a roller-coaster season for Sirianni and the Eagles. The team faced intense criticism after a mediocre 2-2 start that had some calling for Sirianni's job heading into their Week 5 bye. However, the coach remained steadfast in his approach, a quality Graham specifically admired.
"The stuff you go through is good and bad, but you've got to stand tall through it, and I think Nick did a great job of just standing tall, and I think we respected that," Graham continued. "That's why we had his back because a lot of people can go through things and start to change because of the pressure of the outside noise. But of course, he listened to it, but I think he did a good job doing something about it."
The Eagles' turnaround was nothing short of spectacular. After that shaky start, Philadelphia won 12 of its final 13 regular-season games before dominating the playoffs and ultimately defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
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This championship marks the second Super Bowl appearance for the Eagles under Sirianni's leadership in just three years, with this year's victory avenging their previous loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII.
Graham's retirement marks the end of an illustrious career with the Eagles, while his comments about Sirianni reflect the strong team culture that helped propel Philadelphia to the pinnacle of NFL success in 2024. The mutual respect between the veteran defensive end and his head coach speaks volumes about why the Eagles organization has thrived in recent years.
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This story was originally published March 20, 2025 at 10:33 PM.