NFL training camp: Saints reportedly bring back TE Jimmy Graham 8 years after trading him away

Veteran tight end Jimmy Graham will return to the New Orleans Saints this season after the two sides agreed to a one-year deal, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Graham, who'll be 37 in November, played his first five years with the Saints from 2010-2014 where he rose to the height of the tight end position. He caught 386 balls for 4,752 yards and 51 touchdowns during his time in New Orleans. Graham's receiving yards led all tight ends over that span, while his touchdowns were fourth among all pass-catchers behind Dez Bryant, Calvin Johnson and Rob Gronkowski.

The Saints traded Graham to the Seattle Seahawks before the 2015 season for center Max Unger and a 2015 first-round pick, which was used to take Clemson linebacker Stephone Anthony. Graham enjoyed three solid seasons in Seattle where he made two Pro Bowls and caught 170 receptions for 4,752 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Graham signed with and played for the Green Bay Packers from 2018-2019 before he joined the Chicago Bears for two seasons from 2020-2021. He has 713 career receptions for 8,506 yards and 85 touchdowns, marks that trail only Gronkowski and the Kansas City Chiefs' Travis Kelce since 2010 among tight ends.

Now, he'll reunite with the team that drafted him in the third round in 2010. For Saints general manager Mickey Loomis, the move represents an opportunity to make amends with family.

"Maybe I will get the respect of my daughter back because she killed me when we traded him years ago," he said with a laugh. "That was her favorite player. I think she will be excited"

Graham also joins an oddly loaded tight end group on the Saints with Juwan Johnson, Taysom Hill and fellow free-agent acquisition Foster Moreau. Either way, it's just another weapon for new quarterback Derek Carr.