BG’s been here longer than anybody else.
With the Flyers trading Claude Giroux to the Florida Panthers on Saturday night, Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham is now officially the longest-tenured athlete in Philadelphia sports.
Giroux was drafted in 2006 and made his NFL debut in 2008. In case you somehow forgot, Graham joined the Eagles when they traded up to select him with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.
Early on, there was thought that Graham might be a bust. And even after he was able to shed that label, some still lamented the Eagles taking him instead of All-Pro safety Earl Thomas.
But Graham obviously endeared himself to Philly over time, both on and off the field. He made himself forever appreciated when he strip-sacked Tom Brady to essentially allow the Eagles to win Super Bowl LII.
One can wonder how much Graham has left in the tank considering he’s coming off an Achilles injury and he turns 34 in early April. At the very least, he figures to be a key contributor for the Eagles once again in 2022. His current contract runs through 2023 so it’s possible he has multiple seasons left in him.
Here’s to Graham, an absolute all-time Eagle, maintaining his status as Philly’s longest-tenured athlete for as long as reasonably possible.
Curious about the longest-tenured athletes for the other Philly sports teams?
For the Sixers, it’s Joel Embiid. He was drafted in 2014 and finally made his NBA debut in 2016.
For the Phillies, it’s Aaron Nola. He was drafted in 2014 and made his major league debut in 2015.
For the Union, it’s Andre Blake. He was drafted in 2014 and made his debut that year.
For the Flyers, it’s now Sean Couturier. He was drafted in 2011 and made his debut that year.
(Check out our friends over at Broad Street Hockey for more insight on the Giroux deal, by the way.)