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Jimmy Graham’s Twitter Bio Is Irrelevant

The following guest contribution was written by Jonathan Gordon, a senior at the University of Notre Dame with plans of attending law school. The founder of Sports Analytics Blog, Jonathan invites you to connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Earlier this year, the New Orleans Saints placed a non-exclusive franchise tag on Jimmy Graham. The Saints believe Graham should be compensated as a tight end ($7.07 million) because he is officially listed as a tight end. Graham and his agent, however, believe he should be compensated as a wide receiver ($12. 3 million) because of how often he played there. The two parties have proceeded to arbitration, where an arbitrator will make the final decision. For “franchise-tagging” purposes, is Graham a tight end? Or a wide receiver?

Interestingly, in his Twitter bio, Graham describes himself as a tight end.

graham pic

The media has used this to suggest that Graham’s Twitter bio could cost him millions of dollars. No, it won’t. (Or at least, it shouldn’t.)

Section 2 of Article 10 of the NFL CBA states that the nonexclusive franchise tag pays players depending on “the position at which the Franchise Player participated in the most plays during the prior League Year.” There is no mention of team meetings, jersey numbers, listed position, or Twitter bios.

The arbitration decision will eventually come down to whether or not the arbitrator believes Graham played more at the tight end position or at the wide receiver position. Graham seems to have a strong case as he lined up “either in the slot or out wide 67% of the time”.

Salaries are designed to compensate players for performance. Despite what his Twitter bio suggests, Graham performed mostly as a wide receiver. An arbitrator will soon decide if he should be compensated as one.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.