Jimmy Graham to use Pro Bowl as test for injured shoulder

New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham will use the NFL Pro Bowl as a test for his injured shoulder to see if it needs surgery.

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Jimmy Graham had no visible signs of discomfort as he practiced at Luke Air Force Base on Thursday. He ran and caught passes easily in the first Pro Bowl practice of the week. Graham has had a nagging shoulder injury since October of 2014, but has thus far avoided having surgery on it. He knew that if he’d had the surgery, he wouldn’t be going to the Pro Bowl on Sunday. Observers said Graham looked loose and relaxed, three weeks after a long, and ultimately losing, season.

Graham is currently in the process of trying to rehab his shoulder in hopes that he won’t need surgery. The reports were that Graham had sprained his shoulder and his play near the end of the season seemed to reveal a nagging issue as it occasionally looked like he was trying to make one-handed catches to favor one shoulder. Graham said the pain never went away during the season, but he couldn’t reveal what the exact injury was, presumably on orders from head coach Sean Payton.

Graham said he was hoping to avoid surgery and that the Pro Bowl week would be a big week for him to figure out how he felt and where he was with the shoulder rehab. He said he plans to continue rehabbing in Miami after the Pro Bowl if necessary.

Per NOLA.com:

"“It’s something we talked about and is something that’s still being debated,” he said. “This is kind of a trial to see where I’m at. I’ve had three weeks off and I’ve finally had some time to heal. It feels great, and I’m going to continue to do my rehab and get back to 100 percent.”"

Graham also addressed his inconsistent play at the end of the season, saying that his shoulder injury was no excuse for losing games and that everyone plays banged up. Despite the injury, Graham didn’t miss a single game and he still finished with 889 yards on 85 receptions and 10 touchdowns.

Graham will be on Team Irvin for the Pro Bowl and he said in a story on Thursday by NFL.com that he fully intends to dunk if he happens to get a touchdown in the game.

“100 percent,” Graham proclaimed. “Hopefully, they get me the ball. I’m for sure (going to dunk). Hopefully I won’t get fined this time. Last time that fine was a little bit steep, especially for a preseason game.”

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