During the Philadelphia Eagles‘ celebratory Super Bowl parade, Jalen Hurts looked every bit the superstar, but as Philly partied in the streets, longtime defensive end Brandon Graham found himself in a new chapter of his life, having recently announced his retirement following a second triceps tear that required surgery.
Now that he’s off the field and into the studio, Graham is using his voice to shape conversations around the game. On the April 9 episode of Up & Adams with Kay Adams, the Super Bowl champion turned analyst was asked to name his top five quarterbacks – and there was no hesitation in his answer.
“Jalen Hurts in my book is a top five quarterback. He won a Super Bowl like he automatically goes up there. I don’t care what team like who did what it’s like look all year all playoffs, he (was) the one that grabbed the ball first. He has to hand it off, his mechanics, all the little things that you don’t think about,” Graham said.
From Super Bowl heartbreak to redemption
Hurts first reached the big stage in Super Bowl LVII back in 2022, where the Eagles fell just short in a heartbreaking 38-35 loss to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. But rather than fold, Hurts rose, using the defeat as fuel to lead his team on a historic comeback path.
There was a noticeable evolution in Hurts‘ leadership and command of the game in the 2024/25 season. Graham, a seasoned voice in the locker room during that run, pointed to the quarterback’s attention to detail and presence as key factors behind Philly’s dominance.
This time, in Super Bowl LIX, the Eagles didn’t just win – they dismantled the very team that handed them their last Super Bowl defeat.
The victory came with a resounding statement, not only ending the Chiefs’ hopes of a three-peat but also squashing rumors of off-field distractions like a potential on-field proposal from Travis Kelce to Taylor Swift.
“I’mma go just straight that for this year he got to be number one. He won against the GOAT,” he added, referring to Mahomes, who many regard as the NFL’s modern-day greatest.
Read the full article here
