Tag: Arctic Ocean

Jimmy Graham is not opposed to returning to football, and the Saints may need him

Jimmy Graham is not opposed to returning to football, and the Saints may need him with a significant injury to Juwan Johnson:

The New Orleans Saints have been put in a tough position with the injury to Juwan Johnson during the offseason. While there is hope he could return by week 1, there is also the chance that he does not or is not fully into the new scheme by then. This leads to the Saints having to make a decision quickly, and with Jimmy Graham still on the free agent market, he could be someone they look to consider.

According to Katherine Terrell of ESPN, Graham “hasn’t closed the door on football yet” and that “when he does retire, it’s going to be as a Saint.”

Graham played in 13 games for the Saints last season, grabbing only six receptions but four of which scored touchdowns. He previously shared his plan to row across the Arctic Ocean during the offseason, and later during the process posted on Instagram regarding the Saints and his appreciation for everyone. At the time it almost felt like a retirement speech, but now with the Saints down a tight end and in need of someone they can rely on for red zone touches, Jimmy Graham could be the guy they call on in the coming weeks.

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Saints TE Jimmy Graham part of rowing event across Arctic Ocean in 2025

Jimmy Graham is part of a team that will row across the Arctic Ocean in 2025

New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham is going to be involved in quite the challenging endeavor in 2025.

Graham will take part in The Arctic Challenge. His role on the team will be as lead navigator.

Per Neworleanssaints.com:

Graham will be one of four rowers united by a passion for adventure. He will be joined by former Navy SEAL Andrew Tropp, who will serve as captain for the mission, former member of Team USA’s rowing team and a New Orleans native Hannah Huppi, who will serve as project manager, and former rower for Team USA and Team Switzerland John Huppi, who will serve as equipment manager.

Per TheArcticChallenge.com:

The team will start their journey in Tromsø, Norway. They will row 1,000 Kilometers across the Arctic open ocean, landing in Longyearbyen, Svalbard.

With 18 months of preparation and training under their belt, the team will push away from land in July 2025. The journey is expected to take between 10-20 days

The team will row non-stop in 9 meter ocean rowing boat, alternating in 2 hour shifts, 24 hours a day. They will bring all supplies on-board, rowing completely unsupported.

Jimmy Graham is part of a 4 member team that will row across the Arctic Ocean for 15 days non stop 🤯in July 2025 for a good cause 👏 https://t.co/B65mJc2zHX pic.twitter.com/FMOBk95mH9

Jimmy Graham’s post-football plan: Row across the Arctic Ocean

Jimmy Graham has lofty ambitions in his post-football plan: Travel to the top of the world and row across the Arctic Ocean

It doesn’t look like Jimmy Graham will be playing for the New Orleans Saints again in 2024, but you never know. He was a surprise addition to the training camp roster last summer and showed he can still play — but his ambitions for the future are bigger than football. Known as an avid aviator, Graham has now explored a passion for traveling the world by sea.

Graham announced Monday that he’s preparing for “The Arctic Challenge,” an endurance rowing project which will pursue a world record by rowing 1,000 miles across the Arctic Ocean in July 2025. Graham is the team’s lead navigator.

“Using this challenge to inspire young people is very meaningful for me,” Graham said in a statement from the organization. “As someone who has experienced homelessness, I recognize the importance of not letting your circumstances define your future. Through this challenge, we will showcase the power of determination, teamwork and resilience, and I am thrilled to use it as a platform for empowering kids to pursue their wildest dreams.”

He is part of a four-person rowing team planning to set out from Tromsø, Norway and travel to Longyearbyen in the country’s Svalbard archipelago, aiming to break the speed record set in 2023 of 15 days, 5 hours, and 32 minutes. Graham and his teammates will spend a year and a half training for the challenge.

It sounds like the experience of a lifetime. The Arctic Ocean is one of the last frontiers — fewer people have rowed across it than those who have walked on the moon. It’s home to a variety of wildlife: seals, seabirds, polar bears, and elusive narwhals and beluga whales among them. Weather conditions and temperatures can be highly variable as the climate changes, and the Arctic Ocean that Graham and his team plans to traverse may look drastically different from the one our grandchildren may live to see. We’ll be keeping an eye on his progress.

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