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Former Seattle Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham is making a comeback.
After sitting out last season, the 36-year-old tight end is returning to the NFL. As noted by Myles Simmons of NBC Sports, the New Orleans Saints are bringing back Graham — who was named to three Pro Bowls during his first five seasons with New Orleans — on a one-year deal.
“The Saints announced on Tuesday that they’ve signed tight end Jimmy Graham to a one-year deal,” writes Simmons. “Graham, 36, began his career with the franchise as a third-round pick back in 2010. While he caught 31 passes for 356 yards with five TDs as a rookie, he broke out in a big way in 2011 when he recorded 99 receptions for 1,310 yards and 11 touchdowns. Graham then caught at least 85 passes over the next three seasons, leading the league with 16 touchdown catches in 2013.”
Jimmy Graham Notched Two Pro Bowl Appearances With Seahawks
Following the 2014 season, Graham was traded to the Seahawks in exchange for a first-round draft pick and Seattle center Max Unger. While Graham obviously didn’t match the production he did in New Orleans, he was one of the more productive tight ends in the NFL during his time with the Seahawks, notching two more Pro Bowl selections (2016-17) along the way.
During the 2016 season, Graham posted the third-most receiving yards and eighth-most receptions among all tight ends. During the 2017 season, Graham ranked second among all players in touchdown catches (10) and ranked ninth among all tight ends in receptions.
Over recent years, Graham has spent time with the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. Although his production has declined drastically since his years in New Orleans and Seattle, the 6-foot-7 playmaker remains a valuable red zone target. He caught three touchdown passes on just 14 receptions during his last season with Chicago in 2021 and had eight touchdown catches on 50 receptions during the 2020 season. That means Graham caught a touchdown pass every 6.3 receptions.
At his peak, Graham posted 1,215 receiving yards and led the NFL with 16 touchdown catches during the 2013 season, resulting in his second All-Pro selection.
No Guarantee Jimmy Graham Makes Saints’ Roster
While the signing is obviously notable because Graham was one of the best tight ends of his generation, there’s no guarantee that he has a roster spot locked up in New Orleans. Outside of sitting out the entire 2022 season, Graham will face a crowded tight end room that features the likes of Taysom Hill, Foster Moreau, Jesse James and Juwan Johnson.
Hill is a favorite weapon of the Saints, used primarily as a jack-of-all trades player over the past five seasons. Meanwhile, Moreau started the past two seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders and James previously served as the starting tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions. To top it off, Johnson served as the Saints’ starting tight end last season and posted 42 receptions for 508 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, leading the team in the latter category.
Regardless, the signing will give Graham an opportunity to end his career where it all began.
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