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Saints fans everywhere should be holding their breath today as the best receiver on the team gets his injured foot checked out.

Sure, he’s not officially a receiver. But tight end Jimmy Graham is for all practical purposes a receiver who lines up tight to the tackle roughly 40 percent of the time.

Graham, per a league source, is getting an MRI to determine the extent of the injury suffered during Sunday’s loss to the Patriots. In the final year of his contract, Graham has retained the injury risk while the Saints have, as they did with Drew Brees two years ago, delayed getting a deal done for the kind of compensation Graham wants.

Little has been leaked about the negotiations. As best we can tell, Graham wants to be paid like a top receiver. The Saints want to pay him like a top tight end. Given the difference, an impasse has developed.

The impasse likely will hinge on the looming fight over whether Graham is a tight end or a receiver for franchise-tag purposes. Based on how he has been used through six 2013 games, the Saints likely will be losing that argument.

UPDATE 1:50 p.m. ET: A prior version of this story indicated that Graham’s injury was to his knee. It’s a foot injury.

Jimmy Graham getting an MRI on his foot | ProFootballTalk

dizzle88

I hope it isnt serious but brees cannot just stare down jimmy every play, first 2 quarters we were completely transparent and predictable

saintsfan403

I wish the media wouldn't make the contract issue into such a big deal and focus more on the injury. Either that or I wish media outlets would sop employing these mouth breathers.

exile

He can beat most coverages with just one foot anyway.

Halo

Yeah, but he couldn't beat getting mauled by Talib yesterday lol.
Seriously, Talib was draped over Graham like Batman's cape. Considering Talib's gigantic height, it worked.

I think both left the game on mutually effective tit for tat injuries.

Jack Vegas

You guys are going to kill me for this.

I think it would do the offense good if Graham sat out a game or two. He is an amazing, amazing player but we have come to lean on him too much. This might be a chance to get the offense back into balance.

dizzle88

I dont think its graham who has to be subjected to that, I think payton and brees need to stop relying on him too much

For the first two quarters, graham ran a slant route and brees watched him run it for about 5 seconds, then threw incomplete

Bring Khiry robinson and pierre in more, use colston and ben watson!!

Halo

I wouldn't kill you. WTF happened to Colston?? Where is Meachum other than "SUPRISE, we're going deep to Meach!"?? What happened to spreading the ball around to several different receivers during the game?

Too much emphasis on Graham for 2.5 quarters of the game. When we started running the ball (and we did so with authority) is when we started winning the game. I think our ole ball coach Payton is a little rusty on the playcalls.

dizzle88

Offense has become predictable my friend, when meachem is in he runs a post route or run blocks

When graham is outwide he runs a slant or a fade, when colston is in he runs a seam route from the slot

We could all guess 10 plays and im guessing from the formations, we'd get 8 of them right

Jack Vegas

Well, if he misses time they will be forced to.

I think both on playcalling on Payton's end, and throwing the ball from Brees' end, getting the ball to Graham is the "safest" thing to do and that's why they do it so often. Our offense has too many tendencies right now.