Bears newcomer Jimmy Graham has ‘a lot to prove’ in Chicago
Veteran tight end Jimmy Graham is starting fresh once again in the NFC. The 33-year-old is moving from the perennial NFC North heavyweight Green Bay Packers to the arch-rival Chicago Bears and he knows he’s got a lot to prove in order to show he can still play at a high level in the NFL.
Graham opened up about his new opportunity in Chicago on Thursday. He’s as motivated as ever to prove his worth after a disappointing stint with the Packers, via ESPN’s Jeff Dickerson.
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“I have a lot to prove,” Graham said Thursday during a Zoom call with Chicago media. “I mean, I have a big chip on my shoulder to do as best as I can with this new opportunity. I’m extremely blessed to be here with such a young group of guys that are so hungry. I know you guys aren’t in this locker room, but you can feel the buzz. You can feel the buzz in this building. There’s no excuses. No one is looking around and saying we got to do this, we got to do that. This organization has done a great job to keep us all healthy, to hold us all accountable. And to make sure that on these off days, we’re accountable.
“To me, this might be the most special time because I want to retire here, and this is where I want to end it. There’s only one way to end it. Hopefully, that’s winning that final game.”
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At one point in his career, Graham was considered to be the best tight end in the NFL without much debate. He was Drew Brees’ favorite target in the New Orleans Saints offense and a touchdown machine as a result.
Times have changed for Graham, unfortunately. He had some success linking up with Russell Wilson while with the Seattle Seahawks, but since then, was unable to return to form with the Packers and will look to bounce back in a shaky quarterback situation with the Bears.
