Bears' Jimmy Graham: Targeted twice in season finale
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Graham caught two passes for 16 yards in the Bears' 31-17 Week 18 loss to the Vikings, and he ended the season with 14 receptions for 167 yards and three touchdowns.
During the season, Graham caught two or fewer passes in each game he played, though almost half of his targets came in the red zone, where he still showed the ability to box out defenders and score a few touchdowns. The 35-year-old is unlikely to see high target volume in 2022, though he could continue to see end-zone targets if he's on an NFL roster. Although he technically has four more years on his contract, all are void years, and the team can move on from him with no cap penalty.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: Shut out in win
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Graham failed to catch his only target in the Bears' 29-3 win over the Giants on Sunday.
Graham broke a string of seven straight games in which he caught one or two passes. He'll likely be a touchdown-dependent fantasy option in Week 18 against the Vikings.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: Scores third touchdown of 2021
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Graham caught two passes for 30 yards and a touchdown in the Bears' 25-24 win over the Seahawks on Sunday.
Although he wasn't a factor for most of the game, Graham caught the game-winning touchdown from Nick Foles in the last minute of the contest. Although he's scored three touchdowns over the Bears' last five games, Graham only has eight receptions over that span, and he'll be a touchdown-dependent fantasy option in Week 17 against the Giants.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: Posts one reception in loss
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Graham caught one pass for 13 yards in the Bears' 17-9 loss to the Vikings on Monday.
Aside from his lone reception, Graham failed to box out a defender on an end-zone target that should've resulted in a score. Over the last three games, he's recorded four catches for 17 yards, making him a touchdown-dependent fantasy option in the fantasy playoffs.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: Clear for Monday
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Graham (knee) doesn't have a designation for Monday's game against the Vikings.
After kicking off Week 15 prep with limited listings on the first two Bears injury reports, Graham practiced in full Saturday and is ready to go Monday. The team's tight end corps looks better at tight end now than it did just a few days ago, with potentially just Jesse James (undisclosed) unavailable due to his standing on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Graham should handle his typical 20 percent share of offensive snaps, shuffling onto the field behind Cole Kmet.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: Remains limited in practice
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Graham (knee) was a limited participant in Friday's practice.
Graham maintained his same level of activity from Thursday's walk-through session and may need to return to practice Saturday as a full participant to avoid carrying a designation into Monday's game against the Vikings. Since the Bears' Week 10 bye, Graham has been the clear No. 2 tight end behind Cole Kmet, playing no more than 30 percent of the offensive snaps in any of the team's last four contests.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: Listed as limited Thursday
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Graham (knee) was listed as limited on Thursday's practice estimate.
Who may be available at tight end for Chicago on Monday against the Vikings is in flux. Not only is Graham on the injury report, Cole Kmet and Jesper Horsted didn't practice Thursday due to illness, and Jesse James (undisclosed) was one of five Bears to be placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Those four players aside, J.P. Holtz is the sole healthy TE on the active roster.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: Targeted three times in defeat
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Graham caught two passes for nine yards in the Bears' 45-30 loss to the Packers on Sunday.
Graham continues to operate behind Cole Kmet in the pecking order for tight-end targets in the Bears offense, and although he's scored twice over his last three games, Graham's average of 15 yards per game makes him difficult to trust in fantasy lineups.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: Finds end zone again
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Graham hauled in a one-yard touchdown in the Bears' 33-22 loss to the Cardinals on Sunday.
Graham was targeted once, while teammate Cole Kmet had seven passes thrown his way. Over the past few weeks, the majority of Graham's targets have been near the end zone, and his fantasy value is highly dependent upon his scoring touchdowns on his limited targets, especially with Kmet being the team's primary receiving tight end.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: Finds end zone in Thanksgiving win
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Graham caught two of three targets for 34 yards and a touchdown in a 16-14 win over the Lions on Thanksgiving.
The 35-year-old tight end didn't see much volume, but he found the end zone for the first time this season and the 82nd time in his career on a 17-yard toss from Andy Dalton in the second quarter. Graham is firmly behind Cole Kmet on the depth chart for the Bears, but he still has some deep-league fantasy value as an occasional red-zone option.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: First multi-catch game of season
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Graham caught two passes for 25 yards in the Bears' 16-13 loss to the Ravens on Sunday.
Although he has just 64 yards on the season, Graham has been targeted three times in each of the last two games. He'll likely need to see a further increase in targets to be considered a reliable fantasy option.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: First catch since Week 3
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Graham caught one pass for 28 yards in the Bears' 29-27 loss to the Steelers on Monday.
In addition to his long reception, Graham's other two targets were in the end zone, and he also had a potential touchdown negated by penalty. Despite the impressive red-zone usage, he's caught just two passes for 39 yards on six targets this season, making him a desperation fantasy option in most leagues.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: Returns from COVID list
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Graham was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list Monday.
Graham missed two games after being placed on the list as a result of having tested positive for the virus. The veteran tight end is now free to return to team facilities, and therefore to take the field for the Bears' upcoming matchup against Pittsburgh on Nov. 8. During the first six weeks of the season, however, Graham only drew three targets.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: Tests positive for virus
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Graham's placement on the reserve/COVID-19 list earlier Friday was the result of a positive test, Aaron Wilson of Sportstalk 790 Houston reports.
According to Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times, Graham is vaccinated, so he'll be eligible to rejoin the Bears as soon as he's asymptomatic and has tested negative on two occasions at least 24 hours apart. Graham won't have sufficient time to gain clearance ahead of Sunday's game against the Buccaneers, which kicks off at 4:25 p.m ET. The Bears are likely to turn to Jesse James as the primary backup at tight end behind starter Cole Kmet.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: Placed on COVID list
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The Bears placed Graham on the reserve/COVID-19 list Friday.
Per Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times, Graham is vaccinated, so his placement on the list is likely the result of a breakthrough positive test. While he'll theoretically have a chance at playing Sunday in Tampa Bay if he's asymptomatic and submits two negative test results at least 24 hours apart, he's highly unlikely to clear all protocols ahead of the game's 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff. Instead, the Bears will likely hope to have Graham available for their Week 8 matchup with the 49ers on Oct. 31. Jesse James will slide into the No. 2 tight end role behind Cole Kmet until Graham is cleared to return.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: Targeted once in loss
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Graham failed to catch his lone target in the Bears' 26-6 loss to the Browns on Sunday.
Graham has just a single catch on the season while playing limited snaps behind Cole Kmet, and he won't be a recommended fantasy option unless his situation changes drastically.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: Zero targets Week 2
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Graham played 21 offensive snaps and was held without a target during Sunday's 20-17 win over the Bengals.
Graham saw his snap total increase from 14 to 21 in Week 2, but he was still held without a target. Graham's fantasy value has dwindled down to him being a touchdown-dependent streaming option as Cole Kmet has taken over the starting tight end duties in Chicago.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: Minor role in loss
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Graham caught one pass for 11 yards in Chicago's 34-14 loss to the Rams on Sunday.
Graham was targeted twice, but his lone reception came in the red zone, as he was stopped inside the five-yard line. Even though he played just 20 percent of the snaps, the fact he was used in the red zone indicates that he has the chance to score a touchdown in any given week, but it's unlikely he'll be a featured part of the Chicago passing attack with Cole Kmet now nearly a full-time player.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: Makes 2021 debut
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Graham recorded one catch on one target for five yards in Saturday's preseason game against the Bills.
Graham made his debut for the 2021 season, recording his lone catch of the day on the second play of the game. While he recorded 50 receptions and eight touchdowns in 2020, Graham slowly lost snaps to Cole Kmet (hamstring) down the stretch of the regular season. The pair figure to split reps again this season, though Kmet could be in line to take over the majority of the playing time on a more regular basis.
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Bears' Jimmy Graham: Contemplated retirement
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Graham admitted earlier this month that he briefly considered retiring after the Bears were eliminated from the playoffs in January, Alex Shapiro of NBC Sports Chicago reports. "I wasn't sure what I was gonna do," Graham said. "But I talked to [general manager Ryan Pace] and talked to [ head coach Matt Nagy], and I'm on board and ready to do whatever it takes to get back in that position and move forward."
Graham has a non-guaranteed $7 million salary in the second season of his two-year, $16 million contract, but he doesn't sound especially worried the Bears will release him. Second-round pick Cole Kmet handled more snaps at tight end down the stretch last year, but the rookie never made an impact in the passing game, while Graham had a team-high eight touchdown receptions. On the other hand, Graham managed just 9.1 yards per catch and 6.0 per target, and he averaged less than five targets per game for a second straight season. Assuming the Bears keep him around, the 34-year-old figures to split snaps with Kmet in 2021.
