Jimmy Graham: I've been trying to come home for a long time
News that tight end Jimmy Graham signed a contract to rejoin the Saints this week came as a surprise to many because Graham was out of the league entirely in 2022, but it was something Graham had been visualizing for a while.
While speaking to reporters from Saints training camp on Saturday, Graham said he passed on chances to play for other teams after leaving the Bears following the 2021 season because he only wanted to return to the first team he played for in the NFL. Graham caught 386 passes for 4,752 yards and 51 touchdowns in five seasons after the Saints picked him in the third round of the 2010 draft.
“For me, I have been trying to come home for a long time," Graham said. "You know, last year I had some conversations, and determined that I really didn’t want to play anywhere else. I had a couple of teams were reaching out, all teams that made the playoffs, I just couldn’t see myself wearing another jersey again. Just wanted — Hopefully, if there was ever an opportunity to come back home, to make it happen here, and it did, and I’m here now.”
Graham isn't set for such a prominent role in his return to New Orleans and his first order of business will be winning a roster spot as part of a group that also includes Juwan Johnson, Foster Moreau, Taysom Hill, and Jesse James.
