Jimmy Graham a ‘long shot’

New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham (80) fights off Miami Dolphins strong safety Chris Clemons (30) on his way to scoring a touchdown in the third quarter at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports

New Orleans Saints star tight end Jimmy Graham is going to be a game-time decision for today’s game against the Buffalo Bills, and it sounds like resting from a bye week won’t help his status. The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Graham is a “long shot” to play today, but he will try to play today by working out before the game.

Graham was always set to be a game-time decision, but I don’t think anybody expects him to play. If he does play, then the Saints superstar TE would only play in a limited role. At this point in time, it would be incredibly unwise to start him in fantasy leagues; this is undoubtedly a situation to avoid.

The Saints definitely don’t feel any pressure to play Graham today, because they should be able to easily manage the Buffalo Bills without their star TE. They have more than enough weapons besides Graham, and I think a major reason why he is a “long shot” to play is because of the opponent they are facing. I fully expect Graham to be healthy for next week’s tilt against a different AFC East team in the New York Jets, who are a step above the Bills on defense for sure. There is still a possibility that Graham plays today, but I wouldn’t bank on that happening at this point.

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