The Green Bay Packers made the decision to release tight end Jimmy Graham last Thursday. With the free agency negotiation window opening on Monday, the veteran tight end did not take long to find his new team. In fact, he is staying very close to home with the NFC North division rival Chicago Bears.
According to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bears agreed to a two-year deal with Graham worth $16 million. The deal is a bit less than the Packers would have owed him in 2020.
Graham is an intriguing addition for the Bears, who came into the offseason in search of a tight end. They originally pursued a deal with Greg Olsen, but he ended up signing with the Seattle Seahawks. Austin Hooper was expected to be a target, but the Cleveland Browns swooped in and picked him up.
Last season with the Packers, Graham caught just 38 passes for 447 yards and three touchdowns. At 33 years old, Graham isn’t the “answer” for the Bears’ offense, but he certainly can’t hurt.
Chicago is trying to get back into contention in the NFC North with both the Packers and Minnesota Vikings finishing better than them in 2019. Graham won’t move the needle much, but he will give Mitchell Trubisky a solid security blanket over the middle.
Now, the Packers will need to find a new tight end in free agency or the NFL Draft. They were rumored to have major interest in Hooper, but obviously that didn’t work out. Currently, Jace Sternberger appears to be the team’s starter if the season began today.
We wish Jimmy Graham the best in his new venture with the Bears, unless he’s playing the Packers. Then we hope he gets held without a catch, like he did all too often with Green Bay.
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