Jimmy Graham may have only played one season with Marshawn Lynch in Seattle but he’s pulling from Lynch’s playbook when it comes to speaking with reporters.
According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, Graham is facing potential fines from the NFL for failing to speak to reporters in Green Bay. Graham hasn’t talked to reporters since July 28 during the early days of Packers’ training camp.
NFL policy states all players have to be available to the media after games and during the week.
“Players must be available to the media following every game and regularly during the practice week as required under league rules. Star players, or other players with unusually heavy media demands, must be available to the media that regularly cover their teams at least once during the practice week in addition to their required post-game media availability. ... Each club will open its locker room during the normal practice week (based on a Sunday game) on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to all accredited media for player interviews for a minimum of 45 minutes.”
The move is nothing new for Graham. The number of times he answered questions from reporters over the last two seasons in Seattle can be counted on a set of fingers. He would frequently change in inaccessible areas of Seattle’s stadium locker room to avoid having to answer questions after games and would rarely be in the locker room at the team’s facility during the week.
“That’s not my thing,” Graham said when asked by Demovsky if he would ever speak to reporters.
It may not be his thing, but the NFL requires it to be a thing or otherwise their thing will be to fine him for failing to comply with the league’s policy.