Respected Eagles Star Speaks Highly Of Young Patriots Defender

FOXBORO, Mass. -- Eagles star Brandon Graham had a gift waiting for him following Philadelphia's hard-fought 25-20 win over the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.

And the present came from Patriots linebacker Josh Uche.

Uche gifted Graham his Patriots jersey with a note on it as the Eagles defensive end revealed they have a solid friendship. Graham planned on giving Uche a jersey, too.

The two are connected through playing college football at Michigan, even though the 35-year-old Graham left the Ann Arbor campus a decade before Uche did.

Graham, the longest-tenured player on the Eagles as he began his 14th NFL season Sunday, has taken on a mentorship role for young players around the league, including for Uche despite the two being on opposite sides in the season opener.

"That's Michigan. Michigan man," Graham told NESN.com. "On top of that we talk sometimes (on) social media, sometimes on the phone. But just trying to encourage the guys. They see me be here 14 years and a lot of guys got a lot of stuff from me. So, just try to pass it on, pass it on for the young guys because end of the day, that's what it's about. Somebody passed it on to me, and now I'm just trying to make sure I pay it forward for them guys. And tell them, 'Just keep terrorizing. Keep going.'

"Because one day he's going to be 14 years in. Hopefully, still killing at that time. It was cool that he (gave me) the jersey. I got to make sure I give it to him, too."

Uche, whom the Patriots selected in the second round in the 2020 NFL Draft, is coming off his best season as a pro as he recorded 11.5 sacks in 2022. Getting to that total again, or even surpassing it, would be vital for the soon-to-be 25-year-old with Uche in a contract year.

He took a step toward accomplishing that Sunday by sacking Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. And that didn't come as a surprise to Graham, who is well aware of Uche's abilities on the football field.

"He's one of those that's going to get to the ball," Graham said. "He's a great rusher, too. On top of that, he's kind of slick with his power. He got a good balance. And then he got good coaches over there that's helping him maximize his play."