New Orleans Saints' fans and fantasy owners alike held their breath as Jimmy Graham left the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a shoulder injury and did not return. The tight end continues to be a shining light for the Saints, leading the team in receiving yards with 376 through Week 5. However, this injury could keep him out for a few weeks of the season as the Saints scramble to make up for it.
Graham went down in the first half of the overtime win to Tampa Bay. He appeared to be fine, entering the game for two more series. However, the pain proved too much and the tight end was brought back to the locker room and did not return. Graham underwent x-rays in the locker room and New Orleans is calling the injury a sprain for the time being. Graham could end up missing valuable time because of it.
"The key is being able to function at full speed," head coach Sean Payton said, via ESPN.com. "So I think we were smart and got a chance to take a peek and decided we were gonna wait."
The Saints are not going to rush a decision given the lack of depth behind Graham. The tight end is extremely hard to replace. He earned that offseason contract because he became Drew Brees' safety blanket as a mismatch nightmare. Without him on the field, the Saints will need a solid backup plan as they get into the meat of their schedule.
New Orleans gets a slight break with the injury as they enter their bye week before facing off against the Detroit Lions. Graham will likely not participate in practice for the time being in hopes of healing and not missing a game. If Graham was unable to play against the Lions, Josh Hill and Benjamin Watson would fill in for him like they did Sunday. Hill caught a 37-yard pass from Brees while going 3 for 3 from the quarterback. Warson came down with five catches of the seven targets. They are certainly quality options if the remainder of the Saints' offense steps up.
Rookie Brandin Cooks is proving he is perfectly capable of stepping up the responsibility if Graham sits out. The wide receiver has 32 catches on the season for 255 yards. Behind him, Marques Colston and Kenny Stills are making an impact. The chances that Graham can be back by the end of the bye week are good. The Saints could also be getting Mark Ingram back into the mix after the running back broke his hand.
