kickoffcoverage:

Jimmy Graham decides to skip having surgery on injured shoulder.

New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham has no plans to have surgery on his shoulder after testing it at the Pro Bowl.

“I’ve been doing rehab and I’m going to start back on my rehab Monday and really there’s going to be no surgery,” Graham told SiriusXM radio. “I’m just going to do rehab, strengthen the area. That’s what’s best — not having to take six months off and try to heal up with a surgery, but now have those six months to work on all things I need to to try and hopefully get to a place like (the Super Bowl) next year.”

Graham, who had 85 catches for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2014, fought off the injury for most of the season. He was still unsure about having surgery before the Pro Bowl last week.

“It was something that really needed some rest and unfortunately it wasn’t able to get that during the season,” he said. “It happened early and then you have about 10 straight weeks of trying to make it to the game. Now after having about three or four weeks and last week kind of testing it at the Pro Bowl, it feels great.”

Graham at times downplayed the shoulder injury he suffered on Oct. 5 against Tampa Bay, but said late in the year that it “was a battle every game. That’s just how it is when you’re trying to stay healthy.”