The Chicago Bears made it a point of emphasis to upgrade the trenches on both sides of the ball this offseason. On defense, the Bears signed veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett to a three-year, $42.75 million deal in free agency.
Jarrett spent the first 10 years of his career with the Falcons, where he made a name for himself as one of the more underrated defensive tackles in the game. The veteran defender didn’t have his best year in 2024 with the Falcons, but he’s not letting that affect him with the Bears.
If anything, the new Bears defender is already making a big impact on his teammates during offseason workouts and OTAs.
According to Alex Shapiro of Chicago Sports Network, veteran pass rusher Montez Sweat said Jarrett is not only helping the young guys, but the other players who haven’t played in a defensive scheme like the one run by Dennis Allen, too.
The Bears brought in Grady Jarrett to sack the QB and stop the run, but he's helped off field, too
— Alex Shapiro (@AlexShapiroCHSN) May 28, 2025
Montez Sweat:
"He helps out the young guys a lot. He's also played in this type of defense before that some players haven't, including me. So, he's helping out in that aspect too"
The veteran defensive lineman never played for Allen in his career, but his wealth of experience will help the Bears’ defense turn a corner in 2025. Even though Sweat and other vets already have a ton of NFL knowledge, there's nothing wrong with continuing to add more to your toolbox.
Last season, the Bears’ defense was ranked 16th against the pass (217.9 yards per game allowed), 28th against the run (136.3 yards per game), and 16th in sacks (40).
Jarrett won’t be much of a factor in getting sacks, as he had 2.5 in 2024 and four in the last two years. However, the veteran defensive lineman should be an upgrade over what the Bears had in the middle of their defense last year. According to Pro Football Focus, Jarrett produced a 61.5 run defense grade (54th among 219 defensive linemen) last year in Atlanta.
If you are on the Bears coaching staff, you love to see Jarrett stepping up as a veteran and providing his insight. For Chicago to make that leap in 2025 in Ben Johnson’s first year, they will need veterans like Jarrett to be leaders and anchors on the defensive line.