What a career.

As Brandon Graham said goodbye to the NFL and the Philadelphia Eagles in a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, we had a chance to reflect on one the most tenured and storied careers in the history of this city.

Graham, with 15 years and the most games ever played in an Eagles uniform, is a lock for the team’s Hall of Fame. His strip sack on Tom Brady in Super Bowl 52 will live in infamy as the most important play in franchise history. From bust to boom, Graham epitomized everything fans could ask for in an athlete.

But what if he was even more?

Graham, despite not having gaudy, all-time numbers, owns a unique case for enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Allow me to explain.

If we take surface-level statistics, this argument won’t go far. But at some point (especially as teams look beyond things like sack totals), why won’t the Hall of Fame do the same? Much like how baseball’s voting pool has started to prioritize WAR over counting stats, perhaps Pro Football Hall of Fame voters will do something similar to reflect how teams valued players during their respective career.

And if that day arrives, a push for Graham feels possible.

Graham was long a darling of Pro Football Focus, a site that recognized all the things the defensive lineman did that didn’t show up in box scores. Since entering the NFL in 2010, here’s where Graham ranked among all edge rushers:

PFF grade: 6th

Pressures: 5th

Pass rush win rate: 7th

But here’s where Graham’s place among the best edge rushers of his generation stands out: Graham owns the seventh-best WAR among edge defenders in the sport since 2010, trailing only Von Miller, Khalil Mack, J.J. Watt, Calais Campbell, Cameron Jordan and Myles Garrett.

Among that group, only Miller owns a Super Bowl ring. Graham played in three Super Bowls, winning two. His game-changing play to help spur an upset over the Patriots is an all-time moment in an all-time game. Graham’s case isn’t easy to see, but it’s not hard to understand: If a player ranks among the top 10 at his position for 15 years, breaks his franchise’s games played record, wins multiple championships and has an iconic moment, then you simply can’t write the history of the NFL without including his name.

And after all, isn’t that what the Hall of Fame should be about?

Brandon Graham was a very good player for a very long time. His career was probably even more impressive than raw numbers say. One day, it might be good enough to garner support for enshrinement in Canton.

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