Tight end Jimmy Graham has not magically reversed time and gone back to his glory days since joining the Bears. He was held without a catch for the second time in three games as the Bears lost at home to the Lions 34-30.
He got just one target out of Mitch Trubisky’s 34 passes.
While Graham has been a good option in the red zone, he hasn’t been a consistent producer for the Bears otherwise. He put up 60 yards against the Falcons and 55 against the Titans, but has been under 35 in all other games.
That trend only figures to continue as the Bears increase rookie Cole Kmet’s role. Kmet played more snaps than Graham each of the last two games and Sunday had five catches for 37 yards and a touchdown.
The Bears are still better at tight end than last season, when the entire position group combined for 46 catches, 416 yards and two touchdowns.
Nonetheless, it was tentative whether Graham would be part of their plans beyond this season, and now it seems clear that he won’t be. At 34, he is playing on a two-year, $16 million contract. That includes a $6 million salary-cap hit this season, but the Bears can get out of the $10 million they would owe next season by absorbing a $3 million dead-cap hit.
