Bears Count Their Blessings Over Former Packer Jimmy Graham

Mitchell Trubisky completed a short pass and Jimmy Graham got loose against spotty coverage down the sidelines for 30 yards, the longest Bears gain in Sunday's 41-17 win over Jacksonville.

The play represented the 47th reception by Graham this season. That's one more than all six contributing tight ends on last year's Bears roster made combined.

The move general manager Ryan Pace made to obtain Graham in free agency drew fire in the offseason for the amount he spent but it's possible it was the best free agency move the Bears made in 2020.

Even at age 34, Graham has surprised himself.

"Especially not having an offseason, that was big concern of mine, coming to a new offense, a new team, not having that ability to have those moments with the quarterbacks and to learn the offense over Zoom, I had a big concern about it, honestly," Graham said. "For it to be my first year here and to have that trust by our coaching staff, by the quarterbacks, it's special."

Graham's eight touchdown catches are his most since 2017 in Seattle, when he had 10, and it's the third-highest total this year among all tight ends. His catch/targets ratio of 64.9% is his best since 2016 in Seattle.

It's safe to say without Graham's eight TD catches, and something instead like last year when the Bears had two TD catches from all tight ends combined, their 8-7 record and run at the playoffs wouldn't have been possible.

"It's nice to be able to make those plays and make those moments," Graham said. "I'm just doing it for them.

"I'm just trying to win games and continue to play in January, because I believe that's where I belong, is in January. I'm excited to just be, I'm blessed to have been a part of this and to have been a part of such a good story, especially after that tough stretch we had."

If the acquisition of Graham at $9 million guaranteed ended with on-field production, the Bears would call it a success.

There's much more to it.

Graham was the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Nominee for his efforts to help at-risk children. He also has been the mentor for second-round draft pick Cole Kmet.

"I mentioned this to him: I wish I could've been there at the start of his career," passing game coordinator Dave Ragone said of Kmet. "He's made me a better football coach. The things that you don't see are behind the scenes, the mentoring of the younger tight ends, how he goes about his practice habits, how he conducts and carries himself, the fire in which he plays and passion and competitiveness.

"Those are all traits that I'm attracted to as a player to watch, to see first-hand. He's played with some good football players, so he knows what it's supposed to look like. But more importantly, the guy–the guy, not the player–he's unique. There’s guys that are in this league who get a lot of stats and a lot of credit for on-the-field things. This guy is just as big of a star when he's off the field and what his impact’s been for me personally and I know for the other guys on this team."

These are things like Packers tight end Robert Tonyan had to say about Graham last month to Jason Wilde of the Wisconsin State Journal.

"I definitely would not be here without Jimmy, for sure," Tonyan said in the story. "On and off the field.

"Just being the good big brother to me off the field, just letting me experience stuff that I would have never experienced with what he does off the field, which is super cool. And then on the field, just always having my back. In the locker room, just always looking out for me and understanding where my career was going and him just wanting to be a part of it."

The Bears see the same impact on Kmet, who is second among all tight ends from the 2020 draft class in receptions (21), yardage (202) and touchdowns (2).

"We could put all the lines on paper and teach them scheme and things like that but they have to actually go out there and do it," tight ends coach Clancy Barone said. "And so, that's something I think, to learn from a guy who I think is going to be, who is going to go down in history as being one of the best to ever do it and that's Jimmy Graham

"And to have that guy as your close friend and to help kind of mentor you, I think Cole has hit the jackpot on that one."

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