Jimmy

Graham

Graham posted what appeared to be a retirement post to his Instagram back in March but said at that time that he was “unsure of what the future holds.” Last season with the Saints, Graham caught six passes for 39 yards and four touchdowns while playing on 171 offensive snaps. The 37-year-old vet is currently trailing for a 1,000-kilometer row across the Arctic Ocean in hopes of setting a world record and has become involved in long-distance biking. Speaking to ESPN, Graham said he will “reach out to the Saints and figure out what’s best, and then make the decision when it’s best” for him to retire, but it sounds like the 13-year vet is close to calling it quits.

Graham’s post reads very much like a retirement announcement, although we can’t say it is with any kind of certainty. Still, it wouldn’t be surprising if the 37-year-old vet was ready to call it quits after 13 seasons. Graham was used in an extremely limited capacity in 2023 after missing all of the 2022 season. He caught just six passes for 39 yards and four touchdowns and played on only 171 offensive snaps. It’s easy to forget how dominant Graham was early in his career. The former third-rounder, who played only one season of college football, caught 386 passes for 4,752 yards and 51 touchdowns through his first five years in the league and was named to three Pro Bowls over that span. In three seasons with the Seahawks, he’d be named to another two Pro Bowls before moving on to the Packers, where he totaled 93-1,083-5 in two seasons. A two-year stint with the Bears didn’t result in much production, but Graham still proved to be a threat in the end zone regardless of his age. If this is it, he walks away from the game ranked amongst the top 10 tight ends in receptions (719), receiving yards (8,545), and receiving touchdowns (89).

Graham is now up to four touchdowns on six 2023 catches. Kooky. Also not something to bet on heading into Week 16 against the Rams.

Graham now has four receptions in 2023, with three being touchdowns. His only snaps and routes come in the red zone, and with Taysom Hill (foot) sidelined in Week 14, he saw a little extra run alongside Juwan Johnson. Graham’s red zone involvement makes him a somewhat interesting deep league option.

Graham hasn’t played since Week 7 while Miller was an early rule out this week.

The Saints remain mostly intact for Week 9. Juwan Johnson is in his second week back, leading to a second straight inactive week for veteran Jimmy Graham. RB Kendre Miller missed Friday’s practice due to an illness, but is active against the Bears.

Hill was limited in practice this week but will suit up against the Colts. The return of Juwan Johnson from a calf injury should mean fewer pass routes and targets for Hill, who had operated like a traditional tight end over the past two games. Hill is still viable in deeper leagues thanks to his goal line involvement. Saints declared Jake Haener, WR Keith Kirkwood, OL Jame Hurst (ankle), TE Jimmy Graham (illness), and DE Kyle Phillips inactive against the Colts.

It was a turn back the clock moment for Graham, who last played in the NFL in 2021 as a member of the Chicago Bears. Graham has played in all three games for the Saints this season, but saw his first and only target on Sunday. Graham beat his defender to a spot in the end zone for the short score for what amounted as the only offensive touchdown for the Saints. Graham isn’t on the fantasy radar, but it was a fun moment.

Graham and the Saints have maintained the incident was the result of a medical episode. “Thanks (to the) LAPD and just how quickly kind of everything went down and kind of how helpful they were through the process,” Graham said. “Right now, we’re just dealing with that all personally.” The Orange County DA said the official reason charges were not being pursued was a lack of evidence. Whatever went down is now a bizarre footnote to the 36-year-old’s comeback.

Graham was arrested for suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance and resisting arrest. The Saints have since addressed the situation by saying the veteran tight end experienced a “medical episode” that resulted in him becoming disoriented. Graham was reportedly found wandering through traffic and was taken into custody prior to receiving medical attention at a nearby hospital. He has since been released and the incident is under further investigation.