Why Bears See Jimmy Graham As Necessary Emotional Spark

Former Packers tight end ignites Bears offense on practice field with his play as well as his emotions

Two key aspects of play a healthy Trey Burton brought to the Bears offense in 2018 were energy and emotion. 

Burton was always up signaling first downs, unafraid of riling up defenses with bold-but-legal celebrations after catches.

Then, last year the only thing he signaled was he still was injured after some surgeries.

On Tuesday at practice, the Bears saw something similar to what Burton provided in 2018 when Jimmy Graham started making plays all around the field and then celebrated them without a thought about how he might be disrespecting the defense. The offense seemed to rally around his play, whether in the red zone or midfield.

"That's energy and that is the swag that we need on offense," Bears coach Matt Nagy said. "We need that energy, that guy that has that fire and there's nothing wrong with that."

Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky has found more to Graham's game than brash energy.

"Jimmy has been awesome," Trubisky said. "You look at him and he's just a specimen -- his size and strength. But once you get to know him, I think you get to see how smart he is, how cerebral he is about the game and his experience.

"I mean, there's a reason he's been around for this long. And a guy like him and Ted Ginn, it's so crucial for our young receivers and tight ends to watch them see their practice habits. To see how they see the game and just to try to absorb that knowledge and experience that they've carried with them and the way they take the practice field is definitely contagious."

Graham's drop in production last year from 55 receptions to 38 led to complaints that at 33 he was too old or washed up.

He's been in the league 10 years, which hardly mandates he take his league pension.

Graham actually maintained his yards per catch at 11.8, up actually from 11.6 the previous season. He has had similar high production at yards after the catch, while also maintaining one of the higher tight end receiving percentages.

The obvious decline for Graham last year was in times targeted by Aaron Rodgers. He was targeted 60 times in their new offense after 89 times the previous season. He hadn't been targeted less than 74 times since his rookie year. He also had only three touchdown catches, but it was one more the previous year. 

Whenever Graham has played with a new team or for a new coaching staff, his touchdown totals declined.

It's possible the lack of targets last year was because he couldn't get open, or because the Green Bay offense didn't put him in spots where he could be open or because Rodgers simply had trouble with a new offense and didn't get through the progressions to Graham.

Whatever the reason, Graham seems resurgent and Nagy thinks it can be contagious. He said he's seen it work this way in the past.

"Maybe when guys see how that works, when you have success and you have a good day like that or if you have a bad play, you can come back the next play," Nagy said. "Jimmy is an experienced vet. He's been through a lot, and I think the guys on our team, just on our offense are respecting that and are liking that."

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