Heartbreaking news for New Orleans Saints : He won’t play again

admin | June 13, 2024 | Other Clubs | No Comments

Star of the New Orleans Saints Answers Questions Regarding Possible Retirement

The New Orleans Saints are getting ready for the 2024 season, which may or may not have Jimmy Graham on the roster.

The Saints chose Graham with the 95th overall pick in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft. The former college basketball standout became one of the league’s most lethal tight ends throughout the first five seasons of his NFL career. 2011 saw him have 1,1310 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in his second season. He eclipsed those numbers two seasons later with 1,1213 yards and a career-high 16 touchdowns.

Graham had 85 receptions for 889 receiving yards and 10 receiving touchdowns in the 2014 campaign. In addition to being selected for the 2014 Pro Bowl, he was ranked 31st on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2015 by his teammates.

But in March of 2015, the New Orleans Saints traded the dynamic tight end to the Seattle Seahawks for center Max Unger and a first-round pick.

From 2015-2021 Graham had stints with the Seahawks, Bears and Packers before returning to the Saints last season. He sat out all of the 2022 campaign.

While the veteran only recorded 6 catches for 39 yards and four touchdowns in 2023, he still believes he can compete in the NFL at a high level but has been mulling over the decision to retire.

New Orleans Saints Star Jimmy Graham Answers Questions About Potential Retirement

ESPN recently asked Graham about his potential retirement from the NFL and the veteran tight end left the door open to play another season.

“I’m gonna reach out to the Saints and figure out what’s best, and then make the decision on when it’s best for me to retire,” Graham said, via ESPN’s Katherine Terrell.

In the meanwhile, Graham is continuing to prepare for a 1,000-kilometer row across open ocean near Norway north of the Arctic Circle. Graham is part of a four-person team, which includes a married couple from New Orleans, that is training for the July 2025 event known as “The Arctic Challenge.”

Graham’s football exploits are well-known, but he’s also an extreme-sports enthusiast who’s an avid cyclist and has spoken previously about wanting to sail around the world. Graham also is a licensed pilot.

If Graham does decide to return to football, he said it would only be with the New Orleans Saints — the team he started his career with and the one he intends to finish with.

“I don’t have any expectations,” Graham said. “I just want to make sure when I retire, it’s as a Saint, and it’s when they want me to. I’ll just make sure I give them a call and see exactly when they want me to retire, and then I’ll end up doing it.”