PHILADELPHIA -- Only 144 defensive players in NFL history have reached the 200-game milestone. Brandon Graham is set to become the 145th.
Once Graham takes the field for the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday, he'll play the 200th game of his career. This was certainly an accomplishment not even Graham thought was possible during several stages of his 15-year career.
"Man, I ain't gonna lie. It's pretty cool," Graham said. "When I just broke it down like that and thought about it, yeah, I'm like 'I only missed this amount of games.' I'm thankful to get here."
Graham would become the 29th defensive player to play 200+ games all with one team. The Eagles legend would join an impressive list of players such as Darrell Green (295 with Washington), Ronde Barber (241 with Tampa Bay), Ray Lewis (228 with Baltimore), and Ed 'Too Tall' Jones (224 with Dallas). There are many more great players among the group, but Graham will become the first Eagles player to accomplish the feat.
"Everything right now is a bonus. Everything that happens now it's like house money — for real," Graham said. "I'm just thankful to be here, just trying to go out and get a win. Just enjoying this journey. Gotta make sure you enjoy this journey."
The journey for Graham to get to 200 has been a wild one. Graham thought about all the injuries that got him to this point, reminiscing all the moments early in his career.
"I know my second and third year, it was kind of a blur," Graham said. "I missed four games my rookie year because I tore my knee up. Second year, I was on the PUP the first six games. Came back for like two, didn't play the rest of the year.
"Probably like 20 I missed, maybe a little more."
Graham was close. He missed three games in his rookie year (2011) and only played three in his sophomore season (2011). That's 16 missed games over his first two seasons, but Graham only missed one game over his next nine seasons (and that was a Week 17 rest game when the Eagles had home-field advantage clinched in 2017).
In total, Graham missed 32 games over his 15 seasons. Pretty impressive total despite having two season-ending injuries.
"I'm enjoying the moments now, but it's gonna be something to talk about with my kids," Graham said. "Just trying to enjoy it now. You don't get here by accident, but it's what we do."
There is another milestone Graham is creeping towards, one within reach during his 200th game. Graham has 74 career sacks with the Eagles, just two behind Clyde Simmons for third in franchise history. Only Reggie White (124.0) and Trent Cole (85.5) have more career sacks than Simmons.
"I'm just glad. I'm aware now and I'm thankful for it, but being aware don't get you stuck in that spot too," Graham said. "Sometimes when you find out stuff you try to press for it. I'm a still be me and do my job. Whatever happens in the end, that's nice to almost be third in sacks."
Even though Graham will be the first player in franchise history to play 200 games, only one aspect of the game will make the milestone memorable. Pretty simple task too.
"Gotta win, gotta win. We have to go out and win this week," Graham said. "That's the No. 1 thing, so I'll keep that at the forefront. We gotta win. Happy to have gotten here, but hope to go out here and have a good game."
