TE Jimmy Graham, CHI (2 Viewers)

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst said it's his "understanding" that Jimmy Graham wants to continue playing in 2020.

Gutekunst stopped short of saying the 33-year-old will be back with the Packers, though he does have one year remaining on his current deal. Clearly on the back nine of his career, Graham has not been a difference-maker in his two years with Green Bay, compiling a tepid 93-1,083-5 receiving line on 149 targets during that span (33.8 yards per game). Cutting Graham, who is due an $8 million base salary in 2020, would put Green Bay on the hook for $3.36 million in dead money.

SOURCE: Rob Demovsky on Twitter

Jan 24, 2020, 12:43 PM ET

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The Green Bay Press-Gazette expects the Packers to release Jimmy Graham.

Graham has done little in his two seasons with the Packers, scoring just five touchdowns and averaging under 34 yards per game. He's played through multiple injuries despite not missing any time and has clearly lost a step entering his age 34-season. It should be an easy decision for the Packers to move on from Graham this offseason. Releasing Graham would clear $8 million in cap space.

SOURCE: Green Bay Press-Gazette

Jan 25, 2020, 1:04 PM ET

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NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports the Packers are not expected to bring back Jimmy Graham.

As expected. Having said that, ESPN's Rob Demovsky reports an official move has yet to take place regarding Graham's impending release. The 33-year-old is due $11.66 million if he surprisingly sticks around on his current contract — unlikely given the team's third-round investment in Texas A&M product Jace Sternberger just last year. Releasing Graham would clear $8 million in cap space.

SOURCE: Ian Rapoport on Twitter

Mar 4, 2020, 5:30 PM ET

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Packers released TE Jimmy Graham.

The move was 100% expected and saves the Packers $8 million in cap space as Graham was headed into the final year of his deal. Graham is entering his age-34 season and really hasn’t been the same since leaving New Orleans. He managed a 34-447-3 line last season with Aaron Rodgers in an offense that starved for playmakers. Graham doesn’t have a whole lot left at this stage.

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Green Bay Packers

Mar 11, 2020, 6:44 PM ET

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JoeSteeler said:

Signed with the Bears, 2years $16 million 

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JoeJoe88 said:

Lol. Bears. 

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JoeSteeler said:

Signed with the Bears, 2years $16 million 

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Bears signed TE Jimmy Graham, formerly of the Packers, to a two-year, $16 million contract.

GM Ryan Pace has an infatuation with free-agent tight ends, though none of them have ever worked out for him, dating back to Dion Sims and Trey Burton. Graham was released by the Packers last week and looks washed as he heads into his age-34 season. Graham did very little with Aaron Rodgers, so we're not going to hold our breath with him in Chicago where he'll play with Mitchell Trubisky or possibly Nick Foles or Andy Dalton, who have been linked to the Bears in trade rumors.

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Green Bay Packers

SOURCE: Adam Schefter on Twitter

Mar 16, 2020, 7:47 PM ET

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Jimmy Graham caught 3-of-7 targets for 25 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 against Detroit. 

Graham scored on a goal-line throw from Mitchell Trubisky. His seven targets were higher than expected, though he didn't do much with them. Graham will remain a touchdown-dependent TE2 for a matchup with the Giants.

- Rotoworld

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Bears TE Jimmy Graham ran 42 pass routes in the Bears' Week 3 win against the Falcons. 

Only Zach Ertz ran more routes than Graham this week. Routes run -- more than offensive snap percentage -- is critical to tight end success in fantasy football for obvious reasons. Graham's 42 routes in Week 3 is a big jump from his 24 routes in Week 2. Not every Bears game is going to include negative game script that forces an uptempo, pass-heavy attack. Still, Graham's involvement is encouraging. You could do a lot worse than Graham in Week 4 against the Colts. 

Sep 28, 2020, 10:25 AM ET

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PennStater77 said:

Anyone going to ride with him going forward?

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PennStater77 said:

Anyone going to ride with him going forward?

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Kdpatronis15 said:

Jimmy G resurrected himself this year it looks like! He has pretty good upside with Foles and we all know Nick loves his tight ends

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sho nuff said:

Losing Goedert and Cook hurt too right now...debating my preference of Graham and Schultz (if Doyle and Burton were not hanging around in Indy...big Mo would be a shoe-in)

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sho nuff said:

Losing Goedert and Cook hurt too right now...debating my preference of Graham and Schultz (if Doyle and Burton were not hanging around in Indy...big Mo would be a shoe-in)

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Jimmy Graham caught 4-of-5 targets for 33 yards in the Bears' Week 4 loss to the Colts.

Graham isn't going to post big yards, but he's been heavily involved in the red zone this season. The Bears just were never down there against the Colts until the final drive. Graham will be a TE2 next week against the Bucs.

- Rotoworld

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Jimmy Graham caught 3-of-5 targets for 33 yards and a touchdown in the Bears' Week 5 win over the Bucs. 

It was the best of times and worst of times for Graham late in the second quarter. He dropped what should have been a 20-yard score in the end zone before compensating with a one-handed, 12-yard scoring grab two plays later. The touchdown was Graham's fourth in five games, but he is sitting on 169 total yards. Now awful, but not enough for weekly TE1 status. The Panthers are an approachable Week 6 matchup for TE2 streamers.

- Rotoworld

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Jimmy Graham caught 5-of-8 targets for 34 yards in the Bears' Week 6 win over the Panthers.

Graham was on the field for 68 percent of the Bears' snaps this week and was second on the team in targets, only behind clear No. 1 option Allen Robinson. The tight end has recorded 28 targets over the last four games, which also coincides with Nick Foles' entry into the lineup. Graham is a fringe top 15 tight end based on that volume alone.

Oct 19, 2020, 1:09 PM ET

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Jimmy Graham caught 5-of-6 targets for 31 yards in the Bears' Week 7 loss to the Rams.

Graham has seen at least five targets in all but one game this season and is very clearly a favorite of Nick Foles in the scoring area. He's a TD-dependent back-end TE1 most weeks at a shallow fantasy position ahead of Week 8 against one of his former teams in the Saints.

Oct 26, 2020, 11:57 PM ET

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Jimmy Graham did not catch either of his two targets in the Bears' Week 10 loss to the Vikings.

The Bears passing attack only managed 124 yards and 16 completions but this is still a surprisingly bad performance from Graham. He was averaging 4.4 receptions per game with Foles under center until this game. Foles was carted off the field at the end of the game so it's difficult to project a bounceback from Graham after their Week 11 bye. His team should be throwing a lot while playing catchup versus the Packers but it's hard to get behind third-string quarterback Tyler Bray to make much of the volume. Graham slots in as a low-end TE1 because of his volume in previous weeks.

Nov 17, 2020, 12:19 AM ET

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Jimmy Graham (hip) is questionable for Week 15 against the Vikings.

Graham was downgraded on Thursday and closed the week with back-to-back limited sessions. Cole Kmet, who has totaled 14 targets from Mitchell Trubisky the past two games, was already in a terrific spot against Minnesota (sans LB Eric Kendricks) but would obviously skyrocket as a low-end TE1 if Graham is ruled out behind him. It's something to monitor during Sunday's inactives.

SOURCE: Bears PR on Twitter

Dec 18, 2020, 2:10 PM ET

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NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports Bears TE Jimmy Graham (hip, questionable) will play in Week 15 against the Vikings.

Graham has been passed up by rookie TE Cole Kmet on the depth chart so his presence on the active roster doesn't change much for Week 15. He hasn't seen more than four targets since Week 9. Kmet is a viable TE2 option this week while Graham can be cut in all formats.

SOURCE: Ian Rapoport on Twitter

Dec 20, 2020, 8:22 AM ET

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Jimmy Graham caught 4-of-5 targets for 69 yards and two touchdowns in the Bears' Week 16 win over the Jaguars.

The yards were Graham's most of the season, and the five targets were his most since Week 9. Graham had been playing second fiddle to rookie TE Cole Kmet over the last month-plus, but he scored his Nos. 7 and 8 touchdowns on the year in this one with five- and 22-yarders. Graham is as TD-or-bust as they come at tight end. He won't be a recommended fantasy play for Week 17 against the Packers. He had 3-32-0 against them in Week 12.

- Rotoworld

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Jimmy Graham caught both of his targets for 25 yards and one touchdown in the Bears' Wild Card loss to the Saints.

Graham's late-game, garbage-time score came from 19 yards out The 34-year-old signed a two-year deal with Chicago last offseason and led the team with eight touchdown grabs as the team's top red-zone target. Graham finished the year 50 grabs for 456 yards and the eight scores. He has nothing left in the athleticism tank, but Graham can still catch touchdowns. Cole Kmet is the tight end of the future in Chicago. Graham could be one-and-done with the Bears, as he carries a $10 million cap hit in 2021. The Bears can save $7 million by cutting him.

Jan 10, 2021, 9:10 PM ET

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Bears placed TE Jimmy Graham on the reserve/Covid-19 list.

Graham has only run a route on 24% of dropbacks this season, so his absence shouldn't have a huge impact on the offense. Cole Kmet's outlook does improve slightly with this news however. Kmet has run a route on 72% of dropbacks and could be above 80% this week in a matchup with the Buccaneers that will likely lead to a new career high in passing attempts for Justin Fields.

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Cole Kmet

SOURCE: Kevin Fishbain on Twitter

Oct 22, 2021, 2:22 PM ET

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Jimmy Graham caught 2-of-3 targets for 34 yards and a touchdown in the Bears' Week 12 win over the Lions. 

Graham's 17-yard score in the second quarter was his first of 2021. Naturally, it came as sophomore starter Cole Kmet did everything but score. Graham had four catches all year coming into this afternoon. With Allen Robinson (hamstring) likely returning for Week 13, Graham should disappear just as quickly as he re-emerged. 

Nov 25, 2021, 4:54 PM ET

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Saints signed TE Jimmy Graham.

The former Saints great returns to New Orleans on a one-year deal, likely as a rotational player behind Foster Moreau and Taysom Hill. Graham, who turns 37 in November, did not play in 2022 after spending two forgettable seasons with the Bears. He also had stints with the Packers and Seahawks. It’ll be nice to see Graham back in a Saints uniform after his dominant days with the team from 2011 to 2013, but he has almost no path to fantasy relevance.

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menobrown said:

What? A real one year deal? I saw this and just assumed it was one of those one day contracts so he could retire as a Saint.

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travdogg said:

menobrown said:

What? A real one year deal? I saw this and just assumed it was one of those one day contracts so he could retire as a Saint.

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I had the same initial reaction, but as a guy who probably only plays in the redzone, you could do a lot worse. He was still boxing guys out just fine with Chicago 2/3 years ago. He didn't stop being 6-7.

Between this and Moreau, I have to wonder if the Taysom Hill at TE experiment is over, and he's strictly a special teams, and short yardage QB now?

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cockroach said:

travdogg said:

menobrown said:

What? A real one year deal? I saw this and just assumed it was one of those one day contracts so he could retire as a Saint.

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I had the same initial reaction, but as a guy who probably only plays in the redzone, you could do a lot worse. He was still boxing guys out just fine with Chicago 2/3 years ago. He didn't stop being 6-7.

Between this and Moreau, I have to wonder if the Taysom Hill at TE experiment is over, and he's strictly a special teams, and short yardage QB now?

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Remember Juwan Johnson? He was looking like a thing last year.

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