NFL star Jimmy Graham had a lucky escape this week after he was hit by a car while cycling in Miami.
The former New Orleans Saints tight end, who was a dominant force at his peak in the league, has been without a team since 2021 and has taken up cycling in his spare time, but the 36-year-old was caught up in a nasty accident when he was hit by a car while riding his bike.
Speaking on the Pat McAfee show, Graham's friend AJ Hawk – a former linebacker for the Green Bay Packers, Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons across a 10-year career in the NFL – shared some of the gruesome details of Graham's injuries.
"He’s like a professional cyclist," Hawk said. "He was riding his bike down in Miami yesterday or two days ago – I got pictures.
"Car turns left, hits him, takes him out. He says he did more damage to the car than the car did to him.
"He has a slice on his calf that looks like he had worms growing out of it was so deep and all the stuff in it. He has tons of stitches and all that."
Graham took to Instagram to issue an update on his condition. He said: "I greatly appreciate everyone who reached out after the accident.
"I woke up this morning feeling like it was just Monday after a game. My body has certainly built up a callus for punishment over the years. I'll be fine. Stay safe out there."
Graham joined the University of Miami in 2005 as a basketball player, but after four unremarkable seasons, he tried his hand on the gridiron and in his 13 appearances in 2009 he showed his explosive playmaking ability with five touchdowns.
A single season was enough to convince NFL talent evaluators he was worth drafting despite his lack of college experience, with the Saints taking him in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
A solid first year at the Superdome was followed by a breakout season in 2011, when he caught 99 passes for 1,310 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. He backed that up in the following seasons with nine, 16 and 10 touchdown catches respectively, forging a fruitful connection with quarterback Drew Brees.
Graham's incredible numbers led to trade interest and the Seattle Seahawks parted with a first-round pick and center Max Unger to take the tight end to the Pacific North West.
Since his time with the Saints, Graham continued to be a big threat in the redzone, but his receiving numbers declined across spells with the Seahawks, Green Bay and the Chicago Bears, who he last played for in 2021.
The 36-year-old has not yet announced his retirement, but Hawk revealed Graham is training to sail solo around the world.
"He’s on a boat and he has somebody like a captain that trains him and teaches him everything," Hawk added. "Then, he goes on little short two-or-three-day trips now."
Graham is also a qualified pilot, often sharing pictures of himself in the cockpit of planes and helicopters on his social media platforms.
