More bad Packers news: TE Jimmy Graham has broken thumb

Like the Green Bay Packers’ road the rest of the season wasn’t tough enough.

Tight end Jimmy Graham left Thursday night’s game early with an injury, and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said Friday that he has a broken thumb. There’s no initial word on how much time Graham might miss, but it seems fair to assume Graham will miss some games or at the very least be affected trying to catch the ball.

The Packers lost to Seattle on Thursday night to slip to 4-5-1. They might need to win out to make the playoffs. Mike McCarthy is under extreme criticism and his job seems to be on the line. Aaron Rodgers didn’t make much happen in the second half against the Seahawks, and he’s hearing criticism, too.

Now the Packers have to go on without Graham, their big free-agent addition this offseason.

Jimmy Graham hasn’t had a big season

The Packers haven’t been very active in free agency through the past few years, but with new general manager Brian Gutekunst they signed Graham to a three-year, $30 million deal.

Graham probably hasn’t had the impact the Packers were hoping for. He has 452 yards and two touchdowns. Graham had just one catch in three of his last four games. But he is a threat in the offense that defenses have to account for, and it won’t help if he misses time.

Graham is also 31 and his injury might further cloud his future.

Packers could save cap space cutting Graham

The Packers could save about $5.3 million by cutting Graham after the season, according to OverTheCap.com. Given his lack of production this season and his age, that seems possible.

For now, the Packers have other things to worry about. They might need to go on a six-game winning streak to make the playoffs. Perhaps Graham will be back at some point to help. A tough road for Green Bay gets even tougher without him.

More from Yahoo Sports:
• Chris Haynes: Draymond Green’s cutting remarks about Kevin Durant go deep
• Terez Paylor: Can Chiefs surpass ‘Greatest Show on Turf’ Rams of ’99?
• Houston’s Ed Oliver had sideline blowup with his head coach over a jacket
• Serena Williams opens up to GQ Magazine about infamous US Open outburst

– – – – – – –

Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
Follow @YahooSchwab

Subscribe to The Yahoo Sports NFL Podcast
Apple Podcasts• Stitcher • Google Podcasts