Jimmy Graham returns to Saints on one-year deal
After an eight-year hiatus, 5-time Pro Bowler Jimmy Graham has returned to the New Orleans Saints on a one-year deal, the team announced Tuesday. Graham was originally drafted by the Saints in 2010 and quickly formed one of the best quarterback and tight end tandems ever alongside Drew Brees.
From 2010-2014, Graham had the 19th most receiving yards in all of football and the most receiving yards among tight ends. Over that same span, Graham scored the fourth-most touchdowns in the NFL and the second-most touchdowns among tight ends.
With the Saints, Graham earned Pro Bowl honors three times in 2011, 2013 and 2014 while earning First Team All-Pro honors in 2013 and Second Team All-Pro honors in 2011.
After five successful seasons, New Orleans dealt Graham and a 2015 fourth-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for center Max Unger and a 2015 first-round pick. Graham earned Pro Bowl honors in 2016 and 2017, totaling 2,048 yards and 16 touchdowns across three seasons in Seattle.
Since leaving Seattle, Graham spent 2018 and 2019 with the Green Bay Packers and then played the 2020 and 2021 seasons with the Chicago Bears before going unsigned in 2022.
The news to return to the NFL and New Orleans comes as a bit of a surprise, as Graham completely sat out last season.
While Graham may no longer be an every-down tight end, he’ll likely have a specialized role in the team’s offense. He’ll either slot in as a blocker in 12 personnel and in red zone situations. But he also doubles as a legitimately massive red zone target for new quarterback Derek Carr.
In his 12-year career, Graham has 8,506 receiving yards, 713 receptions and has scored 85 touchdowns. Graham has the fourth-most receiving touchdowns by a tight end and the eighth-most receiving yards by a tight end in NFL history. He also has logged the second-most touchdowns and 15th-most receiving yards since entering the league.
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