Eagles news: Brandon Graham returns; DeVonta Smith doesn't practice; latest injury updates

The next-man-up mentality is part of the ethos of the sport. For Oren Burks, it is more than just part of football, it is pretty much his entire seven-year NFL career.

Burks has never been a full-time starter. He’s a special teams ace, a leader in the locker room, and a hole filler whose number only gets called when someone else goes down.

From special teamer to starting in the Super Bowl, it’s been an interesting first season with the Eagles for the 29-year-old linebacker, but it’s not an entirely new experience.

The Eagles are coming off a dominant win over the Washington Commanders in which Jalen Hurts threw for 246 yards and one touchdown and rushed for another three scores.

Despite criticism Hurts may have faced during the season, Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie is aware of the dangers of competing against Hurts.

“I think over the whole season — yeah, you can say his stats weren’t that great — but I think he was still a really good quarterback,” McDuffie told reporters. “The supporting cast he has as far as O-line, running back and receivers around him allows him to play more freely and I think over these past few games, he’s really been able to trust his guys out there, trust in his feet, scrambling and also just trust in his arm and trust in his receivers.”

Brandon Graham will return to Eagles practice Thursday, marking a meaningful boost for the veteran defensive end’s chances of returning for Super Bowl LIX just two months after suffering a torn triceps injury.

Graham, 36, initially said his season was over after suffering the injury in Week 12 against the Los Angeles Rams. After the Eagles clinched a Super Bowl berth in a win over the Washington Commanders last Sunday, though, Graham hinted in the postgame locker room that an early return might be on the table.

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni didn’t have an update on whether Graham would be healthy enough to come off of injured reserve when asked on Tuesday, but the Eagles announced Thursday that they opened the 21-day practice window for Graham ahead of their afternoon session scheduled at Lincoln Financial Field. The team will still need to activate him off on injured reserve and back onto the active roster for him to be eligible to play in the rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs next Sunday.

Commanders owner Josh Harris, who also owns the Sixers and the New Jersey Devils, took out a full page ad in Thursday’s Washington Post to thank the team’s fans.

The Commanders finished 12-5 and made it to the NFC championship before a 55-23 loss to the Eagles. Still, with a rookie quarterback in Jayden Daniels and several new pieces, including a new head coach, they outperformed expectations in Harris’ first year after replacing Dan Snyder as owner.

“This season marked the beginning of bringing Washington football back to it’s status as a premier franchise in the NFL and restoring the significance, pride and sense of community that this team has represented for decades,” Harris wrote.

After the Eagles' NFC championship win over the Commanders, fifth year quarterback Jalen Hurts could be seen in the locker room smoking his victory cigar after coming off his best game of the season, throwing for 246 yards and one touchdown and rushing for another three scores.

Although the quarterback is heading into his second Super Bowl in three years, he’s faced quite a lot of criticism because he doesn’t put up the flashy statistics that people want to see.

Former Eagles center Jason Kelce doesn’t understand why these critics exist.

As the smoke from a barrage of fireworks and a steady stream of confetti descended upon Lincoln Financial Field, Nolan Smith’s mother pointed her phone toward the sky.

The deafening drone of the Eagles fight song would keep Chakeima Bigham from hearing anything in a FaceTime call with Nakobe Dean’s mother, Neketta, but she wanted her unofficial sister to feel like the confetti was falling on her from 3,000 miles away after the Eagles clinched a spot in Super Bowl LIX.

“It was just like she was still there with us,” Bigham said. “It was amazing. We were so happy. We all shed a tear, but like we told her, we will see her in New Orleans.”

The Eagles will host their first practice Thursday ahead of their matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl. 

The Birds are scheduled to practice at Lincoln Financial Field around 3:30 p.m.. 

Wide receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and defensive tackle Moro Oromo (shoulder) showed up on the team’s injured report Wednesday, though it was only an estimated report because the Eagles didn’t practice. Also listed was running back Kenny Gainwell (concussion/knee), who left the NFC championship game and did not return. 

Following the Eagles win over the Washington Commanders in the NFC championship game, tight end Zach Ertz in the arms of a former teammate in a touching moment that went viral. 

Ertz, who spent nine seasons with the Eagles and scored the game-winning touchdown in the 2018 Super Bowl, was walking to the locker room when he heard retired Birds defender yelling out his name.

“Most don’t know that me and Zach, we’re pretty close,” Cox told NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark during an interview on the Take Off podcast. “I was walking and I saw him. I had to yell his name a couple of times before he figured out who it was.” 

Could Philadelphia host a Super Bowl?

It’s the question in the back of every Philly sports fan’s mind as the team sets out on a journey to bring back a Lombardi Trophy.

Philadelphia came close to hosting a Super Bowl nearly 40 years ago. In 1984, Mayor W. Wilson Goode made a bid on Super Bowl XXI, which was scheduled for Jan. 25, 1987. However, Philly fell short. After 13 ballots, Pasadena, Calif., won by majority while Philadelphia came in second.