The Chicago Bears made a solid move for their offense in free agency with the signing of veteran tight end Jimmy Graham. Following his release from the division rival Green Bay Packers, getting Graham is a move that the Bears feel very good about.
Graham is excited to get things started with his new team as well. He spoke out about his fit with the Bears in a quote shared by Adam Jahns of The Athletic.
“Conversations that I had with coach and with Ryan Pace and how they use their tight end . . . were just above and beyond. I’m excited to play for Ryan Pace. I’m excited to be his player again. . . . I’m hungrier than ever.”
Matt Nagy should be excited to have a tight end like Graham to work with as well. He may not be the athletic monster that he once was, but he still can provide some solid production for the Bears.
Last season with the Packers, Graham had a rough season. He caught 38 passes for 447 yards and three touchdowns. Those numbers were not enough for Green Bay to bring him back at $10 million.
Chicago went out and got him on a two-year, $16 million deal. The Bears also gave him a no-trade clause, which was an interesting addition to the contract.
At 6-foot-7 and 265 pounds, Graham is an intimidating presence. No matter who starts at quarterback, whether it’s Mitchell Trubisky or Nick Foles, Graham will be a nice security blanket. He can still provide value for the Bears.
Expect to see Graham end up receiving a much larger role in Chicago than he had in Green Bay. He is going to be a key offensive weapon for the Bears and is hoping to have a career resurgence.
