Darren Waller, a former Pro Bowl tight end, announced his retirement on Sunday, while Marcedes Lewis, another former Pro Bowl tight end, will return to the Chicago Bears for his 19th NFL season.
Five-time Pro Bowl tight end. Jimmy Graham hasn’t decided whether to retire like Waller or return for his 14th season, but it appears that his final decision will be determined by whether the New Orleans Saints want him.
“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, according to ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. “I have no expectations. I just want to make sure I retire as a Saint and when they want me to. I’ll simply make sure to phone them and find out when they want me to retire, and then I’ll do it.”
According to Terrell’s article, the 37-year-old is currently training to row 1,000 km across the Arctic Ocean next summer in search of a world record. Graham will be part of a four-person team aiming to beat the existing record of 15 days, five hours, and 32 minutes.
The University of Miami product is no stranger to non-football-related tough physical challenges, and he has no plans to slow down anytime soon.
Terrell also stated that Graham intends to conduct “several long-distance bike rides over the next year, including a race with former NFL tight end Luke Willson at the end of June.”
During an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” last May, the 2010 third-round pick talked about a terrible bike accident he was engaged in. One day earlier, former longtime comrade A.J. Hawk stated on the show that Graham was hit by a car while riding his bike in Miami.
Graham indicated that he was probably moving at approximately 20 mph, while the motorist was doing 20 to 25 mph. During the encounter, he sustained a leg wound and peeled off all of the flesh off his back.
Graham was also involved in a rollover car accident in Miami in March 2021, but escaped injuries.
The tight end has previously worked as a commercial pilot and lived on a sailboat. He stated that he obtained ten separate licenses over the first ten years of his NFL career.
After sitting out the 2022 season and initially turning down many offers last offseason, the 2013 First organization All-Pro signed a one-year contract with the Saints in July, marking his second stint with the organization. Graham spent the first five years of his career with the New Orleans Saints (where he won three Pro Bowls), before moving on to the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, and Chicago Bears.
Last season, he had career lows in targets (seven), receptions (six), and receiving yards (39) but maintained his knack for finding the end zone with four touchdown catches. Graham is fourth among tight ends and 16th all-time with 89 career receiving touchdowns.
When asked if he could balance playing in the NFL and training to row across the ocean, Graham replied that “anything is possible.”
“Right now I’m certainly enjoying how my body feels as far as my joints and everything,” he remarked, according to Terrell.
Leave a Reply