KISSIMMEE, Fla. — For elite players, a Pro Bowl selection can almost be taken for granted.

That isn’t the case for Jimmy Graham — especially after the Seahawks tight end was told his NFL career was likely over after suffering a ruptured patella tendon during the 2015 season.

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“All the doctors, all the statistics of everyone saying that I could never play again ... They said 70 percent of the guys never play again,” Graham told co-host Kirk Morrison and me on SiriusXM NFL Radio earlier this week following a Pro Bowl practice at ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex.

“For me, that was earth-shattering at the moment I heard it.”

A previous three-time Pro Bowl selection, Graham already was having a difficult first year in Seattle after being traded by the Saints during the 2015 offseason. His receptions (48) and touchdown totals (two) put Graham on pace for his lowest production levels since his 2010 rookie campaign as the Seahawks struggled to effectively incorporate his skill set into the offense.

Graham then hit rock bottom when his leg gave way trying to catch a TD pass from quarterback Russell Wilson during a Week 12 win over Pittsburgh.

A ruptured patella is actually a worse injury than a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Players who have suffered the former often struggle to regain the same burst needed to flourish at the NFL level. Running backs like Cadillac Williams and Ryan Williams were never the same following surgery.

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Graham quickly realized he was facing the same odds. But rather than mope, Graham said he “put my head down and worked.”

“Every day, I literally did rehab three times a day,” he continued. “I have a facility in my house. I grinded as hard as I could, kind of in the shadows.”

When he was around the Seahawks during the 2016 offseason, Graham was unable to practice. But he had a good feeling his second season in Seattle working with quarterback Russell Wilson would be smoother than his first.

“It’s interesting because usually you get that chemistry off the field in the offseason,” Graham said. “But for me while the guys were working, I’m sitting there eating (sunflower) seeds and watching, which for me was one of the hardest things.

“But Russ has that trust in me. He knows that at big moments even when a guy is near me just throw it up and chuck it and I’m going to make a play on the ball.”

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Graham did that far more effectively this season with 65 catches for 923 yards and six touchdowns. His emergence played a key part in Seattle overcoming offensive struggles in the running game — the Seahawks dropped to No. 25 from No. 3 in NFL rankings the previous season — and winning the NFC West with a 10-5-1 record.

But reaching the second round of the playoffs wasn’t good enough for Graham or a franchise that had consecutive Super Bowl appearances in the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

“We’re a much better team than that,” Graham said. “People look at the record and think 10 wins is a fantastic season. But when you have as good a team as us and you’re sitting at home this past weekend, you know that there’s more out there and you’re meant for more.

“For us, it lights the fire and wakes us up because these moments, you don’t know how long they’ll last and you’ll have it that good. We have to take advantage now. The time is now.”

Nobody feels that same sense of urgency more than the 30-year-old Graham after what he experienced with his knee and the road to recovery.

“I really don’t think people realize how much work I put into it,” he said. “I couldn’t jog for the first six months. I didn’t do any training camp — not one practice. And then I was able to come back and make it out here.

“I’m truly blessed. It shows hard work does pay off.”

Alex Marvez can be heard from 8 to a.m. ET Saturday and 9 a.m. to noon ET Sunday on SiriusXM NFL Radio.