Eagles’ Brandon Graham Out with Rare Torn Tricep, Is This the End of an Era?

At a Glance:

Player: Brandon Graham
Position: Defensive End
Team: Eagles
Injury: Torn Tricep
Projected Recovery Time: TBD

Week 12 Injury Report: Eagles’ Brandon Graham Out with Rare Torn Tricep, Is This the End of an Era?

Brandon Graham, a major contributor to the Eagles’ defense, suffered a torn tricep during Sunday night’s game, against the Rams. Per Graham’s report, he suffered the injury from a blow to the back of the elbow. The tricep muscle is located in the back of one’s arm. The tricep muscle is a powerful elbow extensor, and often gets injured when one falls on an straightened arm, or in football performing a block–the tricep muscle under so much stress can not take the load and ends up rupturing; in Brandon’s case, under that much load, a helmet leading to the increased tension, overstretching the tricep muscle-leading to a rupture. 

A torn tricep is a very rare injury that does not occur often, it often refers to the tearing of the tendon that attaches the tricep muscle to the back of the elbow. When injured it often requires prompt surgical repair (within 1-2 weeks of injury). After surgical repair, they may be placed in a cast up to 1-3 weeks, followed by a hinge brace and scheduled to begin physical therapy. 

Physical therapy will likely look similar to the following:

Phase 1: protected phase; athlete will be in a hinge brace following a specific protocol on improving range of motion gradually. During this phase athletes will focus on shoulder active motion, wrist active motion. Athletes should expect scar massage, soft tissue mobilization, cryotherapy to help improve swelling and healing. Strengthening will be gradual at this phase, shoulder isometric work, sidelying shoulder external rotation, standing shoulder scaption/abduction are some exercises that may be utilized during this phase.

Phase II: Reach full range of motion; discontinue brace. This phase will begin to focus on improving control of moving one’s arm through space, and begin strengthening the bicep and tricep musculature with light resistance. 

Phase III: Strengthening: athletes will begin to progress strengthening of the elbow flexors and extensors. They will begin plyometrics of the upper arms to challenge strength and stability. Some exercises that are important to help improve tricep strength and stability include: push-up, holding a plank, tricep extension, skull crushers. In this phase they will begin to initiate sport specific motions. To challenge exercises and challenge stability, they can perform them on an uneven surface for example, performing a push up on a bosu ball.

Phase IV: Return to sport/full activity; athlete should suspect around the 6 month mark to return to full activity/sport. 

With this being a critical point in his career, fans are optimistic that this injury won’t mark the end of his time in the NFL. Brandon has been a cornerstone of the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense for over a decade, known for his leadership, relentless motor, and clutch performances. Most notably, his strip-sack of Tom Brady in Super Bowl LII played a pivotal role in securing the Eagles’ first championship in franchise history. As one of the longest-tenured players on the team, Brandon’s resilience and impact both on and off the field have made him a beloved figure in Philadelphia, and fans are hopeful that he can overcome this setback and continue adding to his storied legacy.