INGLEWOOD, Calif. — In a gloomy corner of a visitor’s otherwise giddy locker room, Brandon Graham waited for the hearing.

Graham’s locker, at home or on the road for more than a decade, has become a ritual visitation spot for reporters. He’ll dish out some friendly banter, a few cackles and an overarching message about the state of the team with the ever-optimistic attitude that helped define his 15-year career with the Eagles.

But in the aftermath of the team’s 37-20 victory over the Los Angeles Rams, try as he might to remain optimistic, things were different for Graham as he announced that he would spend the rest of the season – which might be his last. could be – will be missed. with a triceps injury.

“Yeah, I’m done,” Graham said of his season. “Really and truly. I’ll be away for the rest of the year. Here. I tore my triceps.”

Graham was able to turn back the clock for most of Sunday’s game and the entire season, but Father Time won out in the end. The 36-year-old defensive end wasn’t ready to say for sure whether he had just played his last game, but said he would be okay with Sunday being the end of a 15-year career that saw him play an Eagles became a legend.

“I’m trying to process everything right now,” Graham said. ‘I haven’t gotten that far yet. But I’ll keep my spirits up and keep enjoying it, because we have a special team at the moment.

“If I had to go out like that in the end, I like the way I gave everything on the field,” Graham added later. “All I know is that they’re not done with me yet. I’m going to make sure I go out there and be the best leader I can be, like I always do.

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni would not confirm Graham will miss the remainder of the season, but said he is “remaining hopeful” pending further testing.

“I love him, he’s one of my favorite guys I’ve ever had the pleasure of coaching,” Sirianni said. ‘We’ll see where it is. I’m not ready to talk about it yet. We remain hopeful.”

Graham, the team’s first-round pick in 2011, has been one of the Eagles’ most reliable defensive linemen this season despite being expected to play a limited role this year. He played 46% of the team’s defensive snaps entering Sunday, up from the 35% he played last season, and for good reason. Against the Rams, he had two tackles for loss, one sack, three quarterback hits and one pass breakup. He moved into third all-time in career sacks for the franchise, behind only Trent Cole and Reggie White.

The intangible impact he has had off the field may be even greater. Graham served as team captain for the past six seasons and entered the year as the most experienced player in the organization.

Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson, the second-most Eagles regular after Graham, said he was “devastated” when Graham told him the news.

“I love BG like a brother,” Johnson said. “There’s no one who has more respect in the building than him, not just for what kind of player he is, but what kind of captain he is, what kind of mentor he is to the young guys. He does a lot of things behind closed doors that people don’t see. That’s why people love BG. He’s a real guy. I’m devastated for him, especially because of the year he had too.”

Eagles running back Saquon Barkley added: “I only got to be his teammate for such a short time. But I felt like I had known him all my life. He is the reason why this transition has been so easy for me. Him, along with all the other guys. … But the energy and the passion that he brings, not just for this team, but for this city, epitomizes what it means to be a Philadelphia Eagle and we all need to get in line.” and try to follow and achieve the objectives. things he has achieved.”

Graham came out midway through the fourth quarter after being chipped by a Rams running back and looked at by trainers, who Graham said quickly told him the grim diagnosis. Before returning to the locker room, Graham had a lengthy embrace with Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who Graham said prayed with him.

Once inside he called his wife.

“I told her the news and the kids were crying,” Graham said. “But in the end it is what it is. There’s no point in crying about it, I just need to know that I put everything into it. It hurt, but I’m telling you, I’ll be better for it.

Several Eagles players noted that Graham addressed the team in the locker room after the game, but did not tell them he would be out for the rest of the season. Sirianni also gave him a match ball in the locker room after the match.

Some Eagles players seemed to learn the severity of his injury from hearing Graham speak to reporters, while others heard it for the first time when asked about their veteran teammate. Some, including Eagles tackle Jordan Mailata, learned of Graham’s injury on the field.

“Honestly, I’m just a upset guy,” Mailata said. “I can’t even process it yet. I started crying when I saw him and when I walked in from the sidelines, and I came in here and started crying again. …I haven’t really had time to process it, man, BG means a lot to me.

Hurts added: “It’s a real shame for the guy, first of all, and the teammate second. A man who has endeared himself to this franchise, has always tried to elevate it and really just teach the younger guys coming in. … I know the man, the conversations we were able to have. It’s a shame.”

A few hours after his trademark nonsense was picked up by the referee’s microphone during the toss, Graham was still going about his antics in between unpacking the weight of his injury after the match. Three questions into his media battle, fending off the emotion of the moment as surrounding teammates looked on, some seemingly learning in real time the severity of his injury, Graham cracked a smile and a joke.

“I’m going to keep bringing the energy and letting people know how happy they are that I’m free,” Graham said, cackling.