Jimmy Graham will reportedly not face charges following his August arrest, which the Saints say was caused by a seizure
Jimmy Graham will not be prosecuted following his August arrest in California over an incident the New Orleans Saints say was caused by a seizure Katherine Terrell of ESPN.
The former Pro Bowl tight end was arrested in Newport Beach, California, on August 19 on suspicion of being under the influence of drugs and obstructing a police officer after he reportedly exhibited erratic behavior. Graham was hospitalized after the arrest and released the next morning.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office reportedly said it rejected the case because there was insufficient evidence to prove a crime beyond a reasonable doubt.
Graham thanked the Los Angeles Police Department while speaking to reporters on ESPN on Thursday:
“Thank you for [the] LAPD and how quickly everything came together and how helpful they were during the process,” Graham said Thursday at the Saints’ facility. “Right now we’re just dealing with it personally.”
After the arrest, the saints released a statement Graham’s behavior was due to a medical event that the team doctor believed was a seizure:
“New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham experienced a medical event last night that caused him to become disoriented. He was taken into custody by local authorities and taken to a local hospital to be examined, which Dr. John Amoss considers a probable seizure” and spent the night under medical supervision and tests. Amoss met Graham at the hospital and is currently overseeing his care. He was released this morning and is with the team as they continue to prepare for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers.”
Graham has since returned to practice. His participation was limited Wednesday due to a layoff, but otherwise he appears to be on track to play in the team’s season opener on Sept. 10 against the Tennessee Titans.
The Saints signed Graham to a one-year contract in July, eight years after the team traded him to the Seattle Seahawks in a deal. Graham sat out all of last season after recording just 167 receiving yards in 15 games for the Chicago Bears in 2021, but made it to the 53rd as part of a tight end group that also included Foster Moreau and Juwan Johnson -Saints man squad.
