When the Chicago Bears opened up their wallet to sign veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett to a huge three-year, $42.75 million deal in free agency, fans wondered which guy they would see this season.
Would Bears fans see the Jarrett that we saw in 2024, who only had 2.5 sacks and was working his way back from a torn ACL in 2023? Or would we see 2022 Jarrett, who had six sacks and was still one of the better DTs in the league?
In six games this season, Jarrett’s performance has been a mixed bag, which has led fans to question whether GM Ryan Poles made a mistake in signing him. In fact, you could've made the case that backup DT Chris Williams deserved more playing time with Jarrett’s struggles.
On Sunday afternoon against the Minnesota Vikings, Jarrett showed the fan base that he still has something left in the tank, which is something the Bears hope he can build off of going into Week 12.
Grady Jarrett Reminds Bears Fans He’s Not Washed Up in Week 11 Win
The 32-year-old defensive lineman only produced two total tackles and a quarterback hit across 40 snaps, which isn’t going to jump off the screen.
However, the underlying stats paint a different picture and illustrate how impactful Jarrett was against the Vikings’ offensive line. According to Pro Football Focus, Jarrett had a season-high four pressures (three hurries and one hit), as one of them led to a JJ McCarthy interception in the second quarter. Interestingly, that matched the total he had before the game.
The veteran defensive lineman started on the left guard, but ultimately worked himself around the Vikings’ line to get in the space of McCarthy as he was stepping up in the pocket. If you’re the Bears, that motor and drive to not give up on a play is something that Jarrett can and must do, as it led to safety Kevin Byard's NFL-leading fifth interception of the year.
Overall, the veteran defensive lineman finished Sunday’s game with a 68.3 pass rush, a 67.7 run defense, and a 73.9 overall defensive grade. All these numbers were way better than what Jarrett showed last week against the New York Giants, where he had no pressures.
- Run defense grade – 29.4
- Overall defensive grade – 41.8
- Pass rush grade – 57.4
Now, the question at hand is, can Jarrett replicate this performance next week against the Pittsburgh Steelers? It's not impossible, as Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been sacked 18 times this season, and Pittsburgh’s ground game is not super explosive between Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell. There's also the fact that Rodgers may not play after hurting his left hand in Week 11 (h/t @AdamSchefter).
With the Bears firmly in the hunt for a playoff spot, they’ll need their veterans to lead them as they navigate uncharted territory. Jarrett is off to a good start following Sunday’s game against the Vikings; now the hope is to see it again.