Saints expect Graham to return to practice soon

Katherine Terrell, ESPN Staff WriterAug 22, 2023, 06:52 PM ET
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METAIRIE, La. — New Orleans Saints coach Dennis Allen does not expect tight end Jimmy Graham to miss a significant amount of practice time after the team said Graham had a medical episode on Friday night.

Graham, 36, did not play in Sunday’s preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers and was not at practice Tuesday afternoon, but Allen said it’s possible he could return as early as Wednesday.

“I expect to see Jimmy out here, hopefully tomorrow, but we’ll see,” Allen said. “But I don’t think it’s going to be anything to cause him to miss a significant amount of time. I expect him to be out practicing really quickly.”

Graham was taken into custody by police in Newport Beach on Friday night on suspicion of being under the influence of narcotics and obstructing a police officer, according to the arrest report.

The report said officers responded to a call that a “suspicious male” was on someone’s property at a location several miles away from where the team was staying while it held joint practices with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Bail was set at $1,000, but Graham was released on his own recognizance around 2:15 a.m. The Saints said they believe a medical episode led to Graham’s disorientation and that he potentially had a seizure.

“He was taken into custody by local authorities and transported to a local hospital for evaluation for what Dr. John Amoss believes to be a likely seizure and spent the night under medical supervision and testing. Amoss [team doctor for the Saints] met Graham at the hospital and is overseeing his care at this time,” the Saints said in a statement Saturday.

Allen said after the game that Graham was healthy and would go through more tests. He declined to expand on specifics other than to say he hopes to see Graham practicing soon.

“I think the important thing is that Jimmy is OK, and we plan on having him back out here and giving him an opportunity to prove he should be part of the team,” Allen told ESPN.

Graham signed a one-year deal with the Saints on July 25 after spending 2022 away from football. Graham, a five-time Pro Bowl selection and a first-team All-Pro in 2013 was originally selected by the Saints in the third round of the 2010 draft before he was traded to the Seattle Seahawks in 2015. He also spent time with the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears.