Jimmy Graham sounds like a man retired and thinking about what’s next in his life after football.
Veteran NFL tight end he told ESPN’s Katherine Terrell “Not sure yet” if he officially retired after posting a thank you video to the New Orleans Saints on Instagram in March. Graham, 37, played six of his 13 seasons with the franchise, including 2023, which appears to be his last.
“I don’t have any expectations,” Graham said, adding that if he plays again it will only be with the Saints. “I just want to make sure that when I retire it’s like a Saint, and that it’s when they want me to retire. I’ll make sure to call them and see exactly when they want me to retire and then I’ll be done.” until you do it.
Graham, a five-time Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro in 2013, recorded two 1,000-yard receiving seasons and led the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 2013 with 16.
After missing the 2022 season, Graham returned to New Orleans on a one-year deal last season. He played in 13 games and scored four goals.
Graham has already found a search in this limbo between playing and retiring. He is currently training to participate in the Arctic Challengea 1,000-kilometer (621.3 mi) journey across the Arctic Ocean with three other team members in hopes of setting a Guinness World Record.
The current record is 15 days, 5 hours and 32 minutes, which was set in 2023.
Graham and his team will be set adrift in July 2025 for a period of 10 to 21 days. Team members will sleep for 90 minutes straight. and row in two-hour intervals.
Former US Navy Seal Andrew Tropp, 2021 US Rowing Female Coastal Athlete of the Year Hannah Huppi, and 2021 Rowing Bronze Medalist John Huppi will join Graham on the trip. The former tight end is the “chief navigator” of the challenge.
It will start in Tromsø, Norway and end in Longyearbyen, Norway. The group will use a 9.6 meter boat that includes two cabins and is made of carbon fiber. They are expected to experience 24 hours of daylight.
One reason Graham is doing this is to help three nonprofit organizations that support disadvantaged youth: Covenant House, the Jimmy Graham Foundation and Laureus Sport for Good USA.
“Using this challenge to inspire young people is very meaningful to me. As someone who has experienced homelessness, I recognize the importance of not letting circumstances define your future.” Graham said on the Arctic Challenge website. “Through this challenge, we will show the power of determination, teamwork and resilience, and I am delighted to use it as a platform to empower children to pursue their wildest dreams.”
This type of adventure is not unusual for Graham. Of the 10 different aviation license and is an avid cyclist.
While football may be a thing of the past, Graham is already planning his future, as he told Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan in your podcast in January.
“It really gives me something to look forward to and something that I can athletically push myself in a new direction,” Graham said. “And I don’t have to take hits anymore. I can just sit down and get to work.”