Jimmy Graham Injury: Saints TE expected to miss 2-3 weeks

New Orleans Saints star tight end Jimmy Graham went down with an injury to his right shoulder in the second quarter of last week’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and it was definitely a scary moment for Saints fans and Graham’s fantasy owners. The Saints talented passing attack hasn’t hit its stride this season (interior pressure has hurt them), but Graham and Brandin Cooks have been bright spots (as Graham always is) this year. Graham needed X-Rays, but multiple reports stated that the injury wasn’t believed to be serious and, due to the bye week, wasn’t expected to cause him to miss any action.

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It’s time to change those expectations, as the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports this morning that Graham is expected to miss 2-3 weeks with a shoulder sprain, and these 2-3 weeks don’t count the bye week. Per Rapoport, that means Graham will likely miss key NFC North battles with the Lions and Green Bay Packers, and his absence against the Packers would be a massive blow against an athletic secondary and a deep pass rush. Thankfully, the Saints now have the kind of running game that can absolutely tear up a subpar run defense like the Packers unit.

Hopefully Graham can beat that timeline, and Saints fans will have to see if his shoulder injury prolongs the team’s almost inevitable bounce-back from their 2-3 start before the bye. So far this season, the elite TE has 34 receptions for 376 yards and three touchdowns, so his profound impact on the game is obvious with just a quick glance at the statistics.

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