Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports that Saints TE Jimmy Graham has officially appealed the ruling from an arbitrator who determined he should be considered a tight end.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported not too long ago that Graham was not expected to file an appeal of his franchise before 4:00 p.m. ET on Monday, but it appears as though that was a little premature.
The tight end tag would only pay Graham $7.035 million for the 2014 while the receiver tag comes in at $12 million, so there is a huge incentive for him to appeal and hope it gets overturned.
This could also be an indication that the two sides aren’t close to a long-term contract extension.
Recent reports mentioned that the Saints are still willing to make Graham the highest-paid tight end in NFL history with an annual salary of $9.5 million, but there hasn’t been any reported progress since then.
Graham managed to put together a very good season, despite the fact that he was hampered by a foot injury for a good portion of the year. He totaled 86 receptions for 1,215 yards receiving and 16 touchdowns and was rated by Pro Football Focus as the No. 1 tight end in the league.
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