The Chicago Bears have found ways to get wins and production across the board, whether it's been from the usual stars or unexpected contributors. Even though they fell to the Green Bay Packers in Week 14, the Bears must focus on what's next as they control their fate moving forward, making it crucial for everyone to step up.
Despite that, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett has been a massive disappointment for the Bears, and there's no way Chicago can even get out of his deal this offseason.
Grady Jarrett’s Contract Is a Massive Problem for Bears
The Bears gave Jarrett a three-year, $42.75 million deal that included $28.5 million guaranteed back in free agency. They believed they were getting an anchor along the interior, with a true leader for this team. And while he's been a leader on and off the field for Chicago, his production on the field is lackluster.
In 10 games (three starts) in 2025, he has compiled 22 total tackles, five QB hits, but he's had zero TFLs and sacks. According to Pro Football Focus, he has a 52.8 overall grade (94th among 129 graded defensive linemen), 60.3 pass rush grade (74th among 129 graded defensive linemen), and a 43.5 pass-rush grade (106th among 129 graded defensive linemen) in 2025. And while these numbers are disappointing, general manager Ryan Poles should have seen this coming as his play has decreased for the last few years.
2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|
Overall: 62.1 | Overall: 68.4 | Overall Grade: 71.3 |
Pass-Rush: 60.6 | Pass-Rush: 70.3 | Pass-Rush Grade: 73.9 |
Run Defense: 61.5 | Run Defense: 66.9 | Run Defense: 61.4 |
As the stats suggest, Jarrett's production has gone down for the last three years, and that trend continued in Chicago. According to Spotrac, if Chicago moved on from Jarrett this offseason, they would get hit with a $21 million dead cap hit, which would be a loss since his cap hit is $19 million. A post-June 1 trade would result in $15 million in savings and a $4 million dead cap, which is better, yet only possible if another team is foolish enough to help the Bears.
Based on the financial implications, Jarrett will be back in the Windy City in 2026, and that's a letdown considering how he's played in 2025. It's obvious that Chicago paid him to be a force along the defensive line, but he's shown that those days are likely behind him.
And with the deal that was gifted by Chicago, he'll be an expensive player on the books who has minimal upside.
The defensive line is an area that the Bears need to improve at this offseason, but with limited resources there in 2026, it'll be harder for them to do so. The biggest hope that's still apparent is that Jarrett turns back the clock, but based on what has happened in 2025, the chances of that happening are slim to none.