Jimmy Graham‘s career appeared to be over when he sat out the 2022 campaign, but he began the comeback process last week when he signed a deal with the Saints. That reunion allowed the All-Pro tight end to return to where his career began, something he said was necessary for him to avoid retirement.
Graham signed for $1.3M (just over the veteran minimum) to compete for a spot on New Orleans’ 53-man roster out of training camp. That deal marked the culmination of a lengthy courtship process on the team’s part. The Saints discussed a reunion with Graham multiple times, including last year, as noted by ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. Their most recent efforts will allow the 36-year-old the opportunity to put off retirement for the time being.
“I had a couple of teams that were reaching out, all teams that made the playoffs,” Graham said, via Terrell. “I just couldn’t see myself wearing another jersey again. I just wanted, hopefully, if there was ever another opportunity to come back home, to make it happen. It did, and I’m here now… I talked to [agent] Jimmy Sexton and just made it clear if I don’t retire as a Saint, then I wasn’t going to play again.”
Graham spent his first five years in New Orleans, a stretch that included his two most productive campaigns (2011 and 2013). He earned three Pro Bowl nods and his lone first-team All-Pro acclaim with the Saints, before being traded to the Seahawks in 2015. The former third-rounder spent three years in Seattle before playing two years each with the Packers and Bears.
The end of his stint in Chicago appeared to mark the conclusion of Graham’s playing career, but mutual interest with the Saints obviously remained through his idle 2022 season. The team has a number of other options at the position (including Juwan Johnson, Foster Moreau and Taysom Hill), so Graham will need to demonstrate a continued ability to produce in the red zone in particular to turn his hopes of a Saints reunion into a reality. A strong season could help the team return to the playoffs while allowing him to finish his career where it started.
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