Jimmy Graham didnât call it a regret, exactly. But as he officially closed the book on his NFL career with the New Orleans Saints, the former All-Pro tight end admitted he still thinks about the âwhat-ifâ of spending more time with Drew Brees in his prime.
Speaking at his retirement event with Brees sitting in the front row ahead of the Saintsâ kickoff against the Falcons in Week 12, Graham said he âalwaysâ wished they had more seasons together and pointed to the staggering pace they were on during their New Orleans run.
He said he and Brees were âon pace 5 years, 52 touchdowns,â calling it âa lotâ and admitting âyou live through some of that sometimesâ when you think about what could have happened with more time together.
Graham made it clear Brees is more than a former quarterback to him, calling him âlike a brotherâ and saying their bond âwill go until Iâm in a grave.â He added that Brees and his family have âbrightened my life,â and that watching his kids grow up has been part of that relationship.
The comments came during an emotional day at the Superdome, where Graham returned to retire as a Saint. He described the city as the place where he âbecame a man,â learned the game and built the life he has now.
âEverything that I have in my life truly is because of the New Orleans Saints and the city,â Graham said, calling New Orleans âforeverâ his home.
What It Means for Jimmy Grahamâs Legacy With the Saints
Grahamâs Brees comments underline just how dominant their connection was at its peak â and how abruptly it ended for both sides when the Saints traded him to Seattle.
He didnât name-check the trade directly, but when he talked about âwhat could have happened,â it was hard not to hear the subtext. Graham rattled off the offensive names from those early years â Reggie Bush, Marques Colston, Robert Meachem â and noted that in a critical rookie moment in Atlanta, Brees looked at Sean Payton and said, âI want to throw it to the big kid.â
From there, Graham became one of the leagueâs most feared mismatch weapons and, as general manager Mickey Loomis reminded the room, was arguably âthe best tight end in all of footballâ by his second season.
Graham emphasized that his rise was about the people around him as much as his own talent, citing leadership from Brees, Jonathan Vilma and Colston and the way Brees pushed him without tearing him down. He recalled a play where he broke off a route and Breesâ response was simple: âI donât care if the whole teamâs over there. Iâm still going to throw you the ball, so always run.â
âThatâs what led me my whole career,â Graham said.
Grahamâs Next Chapter: âFlipping Planesâ to Replace the Rush
Graham also shed light on what comes next â and itâs just as extreme as youâd expect from a guy who recently rowed across an ocean.
He joked that he doesnât have Breesâ âpretty faceâ for TV, then said heâs likely headed for air shows, traveling the world and âflipping planesâ or helicopters in front of crowds.
Graham admitted itâs almost impossible to replace the feeling of scoring a touchdown in the Superdome, with 75,000 fans screaming and teammates sometimes crying on the sideline. But getting back in front of a live audience, he said, might help him chase a little bit of that rush again.
For Saints fans, though, the highlight of the day was simple: their former star tight end officially retiring in black and gold, and confessing he still thinks about the magic he and Brees left on the table.
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