Graham recorded zero targets during Sunday's 16-15 victory against the Titans.
Graham didn't play much of a factor during his first NFL game since the end of the 2021 campaign. Instead, starting tight end Juwan Johnson was the Saints' only tight end to receive any targets (five) from Derek Carr, as Foster Moreau also went without any targets Week 1. Graham was one of the NFL's best red-zone targets during his prime with the Saints and Seahawks from 2011 to 2017, though it's unclear how effective he'll be during his age-36 season. Still, it will be worth seeing how he's utilized if New Orleans can generate more red-zone trips Week 2 against Carolina.
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Saints' Jimmy Graham: Makes final 53-man roster
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Graham was not included in the Saints' final cuts ahead of Tuesday's 53-man roster deadline, NewOrleans.Football reports.
New Orleans coach Dennis Allen reiterated Tuesday that Graham's performance over the final two weeks of the preseason went a long way toward securing him a roster spot. The 36-year-old unexpectedly signed a one-year deal with the Saints in late July after he sat out the entire 2022 season, as it seemed like his time in the NFL may have come to an end following a career-worst season with the Bears in which he caught 14 of 23 targets for 167 yards and three touchdowns. His comeback to New Orleans then seemed to be in jeopardy after he experienced a medical episode Aug. 19 just ahead of the team's preseason contest versus the Chargers. However, he returned to practice four days later and suited up for the preseason finale versus Houston, catching three passes for 34 yards and a touchdown. The five-time Pro Bowler should now slot into a reserve role alongside Foster Moreau while up-and-coming tight end Juwan Johnson likely accounts for the majority of targets at the position.
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Saints' Jimmy Graham: Vintage performance Sunday
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Graham (illness) had three receptions (four targets) for 34 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's preseason finale against Houston.
Graham returned to action in style after missing last week's preseason tilt due to a non-football-related medical issue. The long-time Saint got the start at tight end with Taysom Hill, Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau all sitting out the final exhibition showcase. Graham turned in a vintage performance highlighted by a short touchdown in the second quarter in which he used his 6-foot-7 frame to body the slot corner assigned to him in coverage. Perhaps the 36-year-old can survive Tuesday's roster cuts and carve out a red-zone role as he attempts to extend his career back to where it all began back in 2010.
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Saints' Jimmy Graham: Looks good in return to practice
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Graham (illness) returned to practice Wednesday, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.
Graham had a medical episode Friday but has been cleared to resume practicing. The 36-year-old tight end is battling to make the team, and head coach Dennis Allen said Graham looked good in practice Wednesday. Allen added that Graham did some of the things that he did in the past; Graham was one of the league's most productive tight ends for the Saints during his prime, highlighted by a 16-touchdown season in 2013.
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Saints' Jimmy Graham: Expected to practice soon
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Coach Dennis Allen doesn't expect Graham, who had a medical episode Friday night, to miss a significant amount of practice time, Katherine Terrell of ESPN reports.
Per the report, Allen indicated that the tight end could be back on the field as soon as Wednesday, but either way Graham, who the Saints believe potentially had a seizure Friday, is expected back soon. "I think the important thing is that Jimmy is OK, and we plan on having him back out here and giving him an opportunity to prove he should be part of the team," Allen noted of the 36-year-old, who signed a one-year deal with New Orleans on July 25 after spending 2022 away from the NFL.
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Saints' Jimmy Graham: Recovering well
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Saints coach Dennis Allen said that Graham (illness) will not suit up for Sunday's preseason game against the Chargers but that he is still in a good spot while recovering from Friday's medical episode, according to team reporter Erin Summers.
Graham's recovery timeline is still unclear, as not all of the specifics of his medical episode Friday have been made publicly available. However, he was apparently doing well enough to travel with the team to SoFi Stadium and watch Sunday's preseason tilt from the locker room, according to Jeff Duncan of The Athletic. Graham's final opportunity to suit up this preseason will come versus the Texans on Sunday, Aug. 27.
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Saints' Jimmy Graham: Experiences medical episode
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Graham had what the Saints described as a medical episode Friday evening in Southern California, which resulted in the tight end being taken into custody by local authorities, Luke Johnson of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
In a statement posted Saturday, the Saints noted that Graham was subsequently "transported to a local hospital for evaluation for what Dr. John Amoss believes to be a likely seizure and spent the night under medical supervision and testing." The statement added that Graham was released from the hospital Saturday morning and is with the team in advance of Sunday's preseason game against the Chargers.
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Saints' Jimmy Graham: Surprising reunion with Saints
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Graham signed a one-year contract with New Orleans on Tuesday.
The 36-year-old may need to compete for a roster spot in a crowded tight end corps that features Juwan Johnson, Foster Moreau and Taysom Hill. Graham hasn't seen NFL action since the 2021 season, when he put up just a 14-167-3 receiving line in Chicago across 15 games. Graham may be nothing more than a situational end-zone target if he does make the team, but it will be fitting if he's able to finish out his career as a member of the Saints after catching 51 touchdowns in five seasons and making three Pro Bowls with the franchise in the early 2010s.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: Targeted twice in season finale
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Graham caught two passes for 16 yards in the Bears' 31-17 Week 18 loss to the Vikings, and he ended the season with 14 receptions for 167 yards and three touchdowns.
During the season, Graham caught two or fewer passes in each game he played, though almost half of his targets came in the red zone, where he still showed the ability to box out defenders and score a few touchdowns. The 35-year-old is unlikely to see high target volume in 2022, though he could continue to see end-zone targets if he's on an NFL roster. Although he technically has four more years on his contract, all are void years, and the team can move on from him with no cap penalty.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: Shut out in win
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Graham failed to catch his only target in the Bears' 29-3 win over the Giants on Sunday.
Graham broke a string of seven straight games in which he caught one or two passes. He'll likely be a touchdown-dependent fantasy option in Week 18 against the Vikings.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: Scores third touchdown of 2021
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Graham caught two passes for 30 yards and a touchdown in the Bears' 25-24 win over the Seahawks on Sunday.
Although he wasn't a factor for most of the game, Graham caught the game-winning touchdown from Nick Foles in the last minute of the contest. Although he's scored three touchdowns over the Bears' last five games, Graham only has eight receptions over that span, and he'll be a touchdown-dependent fantasy option in Week 17 against the Giants.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: Posts one reception in loss
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Graham caught one pass for 13 yards in the Bears' 17-9 loss to the Vikings on Monday.
Aside from his lone reception, Graham failed to box out a defender on an end-zone target that should've resulted in a score. Over the last three games, he's recorded four catches for 17 yards, making him a touchdown-dependent fantasy option in the fantasy playoffs.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: Clear for Monday
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Graham (knee) doesn't have a designation for Monday's game against the Vikings.
After kicking off Week 15 prep with limited listings on the first two Bears injury reports, Graham practiced in full Saturday and is ready to go Monday. The team's tight end corps looks better at tight end now than it did just a few days ago, with potentially just Jesse James (undisclosed) unavailable due to his standing on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Graham should handle his typical 20 percent share of offensive snaps, shuffling onto the field behind Cole Kmet.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: Remains limited in practice
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Graham (knee) was a limited participant in Friday's practice.
Graham maintained his same level of activity from Thursday's walk-through session and may need to return to practice Saturday as a full participant to avoid carrying a designation into Monday's game against the Vikings. Since the Bears' Week 10 bye, Graham has been the clear No. 2 tight end behind Cole Kmet, playing no more than 30 percent of the offensive snaps in any of the team's last four contests.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: Listed as limited Thursday
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Graham (knee) was listed as limited on Thursday's practice estimate.
Who may be available at tight end for Chicago on Monday against the Vikings is in flux. Not only is Graham on the injury report, Cole Kmet and Jesper Horsted didn't practice Thursday due to illness, and Jesse James (undisclosed) was one of five Bears to be placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Those four players aside, J.P. Holtz is the sole healthy TE on the active roster.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: Finds end zone again
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Graham hauled in a one-yard touchdown in the Bears' 33-22 loss to the Cardinals on Sunday.
Graham was targeted once, while teammate Cole Kmet had seven passes thrown his way. Over the past few weeks, the majority of Graham's targets have been near the end zone, and his fantasy value is highly dependent upon his scoring touchdowns on his limited targets, especially with Kmet being the team's primary receiving tight end.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: Finds end zone in Thanksgiving win
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Graham caught two of three targets for 34 yards and a touchdown in a 16-14 win over the Lions on Thanksgiving.
The 35-year-old tight end didn't see much volume, but he found the end zone for the first time this season and the 82nd time in his career on a 17-yard toss from Andy Dalton in the second quarter. Graham is firmly behind Cole Kmet on the depth chart for the Bears, but he still has some deep-league fantasy value as an occasional red-zone option.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: First multi-catch game of season
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Graham caught two passes for 25 yards in the Bears' 16-13 loss to the Ravens on Sunday.
Although he has just 64 yards on the season, Graham has been targeted three times in each of the last two games. He'll likely need to see a further increase in targets to be considered a reliable fantasy option.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: First catch since Week 3
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Graham caught one pass for 28 yards in the Bears' 29-27 loss to the Steelers on Monday.
In addition to his long reception, Graham's other two targets were in the end zone, and he also had a potential touchdown negated by penalty. Despite the impressive red-zone usage, he's caught just two passes for 39 yards on six targets this season, making him a desperation fantasy option in most leagues.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: Returns from COVID list
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Graham was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list Monday.
Graham missed two games after being placed on the list as a result of having tested positive for the virus. The veteran tight end is now free to return to team facilities, and therefore to take the field for the Bears' upcoming matchup against Pittsburgh on Nov. 8. During the first six weeks of the season, however, Graham only drew three targets.
