Former Seahawks TE Jimmy Graham set to officially retire from the NFL
When Jimmy Graham came into the league as a rookie in 2010, he quickly made a name for himself as one of the premiere receiving threats in football. It did not take him long to make an impact, as he recorded 1,310 yards and 11 touchdowns in his second season. Two years later, he set a career best with 16 scores. In fact, he had double-digit touchdown seasons in three of his first five years in the league.
Of course, his career took an unexpected turn when the Seattle Seahawks traded for him after their loss in Super Bowl XLIX. After five years in the Big Easy, Graham would be headed to the Pacific Northwest. During his time in Seattle, Graham became somewhat of a divisive figure among the 12th Man. Many were frustrated he was never quite the player he was in New Orleans, while others argued he was improperly utilized by Seattle's offensive system. A patellar tendon injury suffered in 2015 cut his inaugural Seahawks season short with only 605 receiving yards and two touchdowns - a career-low at that point. Frustratingly, it came right at the time when it felt he was finally developing legitimate chemistry with Russell Wilson and Seattle was figuring out how best to use him.
Graham did return with two solid Pro Bowl caliber years in 2016 and 2017. He had 923 receiving yards and six scores in 2016, and while he was limited to 520 yards in 2017, he still found the end zone ten times. However, there was still the sense he - or the team - never could put it all together. One year had the yards, one year had the touchdowns. Still, when Graham's time in the Emerald City was concluded, he left as Seattle's leader for most receptions (170), receiving yards (2,048) and touchdowns (18) as a tight end.
After leaving the Seahawks, Graham spent four years in the NFC North. Two years with the Green Bay Packers, then two with the Chicago Bears. After sitting the 2022 season out, Graham returned "home" to New Orleans for one final run in 2023. Graham caught six receptions for 39 yards and four touchdowns in the last season of his career. Now, he will fittingly retire with the team who drafted him.
We at Seahawks Wire wish Jimmy Graham all the best as he begins this new chapter in his life. We also want to thank Graham for his years as a Seahawk, as there were plenty of great memories during his run and he undeniably left an impact on the team.
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