One of the consistent frustrations for Chicago Bears fans in the 2025 season was the lack of production from defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. Not only did the veteran consistently struggle with injuries, but when Jarrett was on the field, the level of play didn't meet expectations.
Still, the most recent report seems to give very little thought to the Bears attempting to escape the contract. According to NFL Insider Jordan Schultz, teams have inquired about the possibility of trading for Bears DT Gervon Dexter, given that the free-agent DT market and draft class are not considered to be especially deep this offseason.
This is a huge development that would seemingly suggest the Bears have no level of concern about Jarrett's first season in Chicago. Trading Dexter would obviously take away any notion of exploring parting ways with Jarrett. In many ways, this makes sense from a cap perspective, with moving the defender after year one of the contract close to impossible.
According to Spotrac, Grady Jarrett would only save $1.9 million against the cap if cut after June 1. If cut beforehand, it would create negative cap space, leaving the only possible avenue to saving money as a trade after June 1, when a move would result in $14.9 million in cap savings. This paints a picture as to why the Bears perhaps have a healthy level of confidence in bringing back Jarrett while shopping Dexter.
Bears Shopping Dexter Signals Grady Jarrett's Obvious 2026 Return
Jarrett finished the 2025 season with only 1.5 sacks and struggled with knee injuries. Still, it seems like the Bears are content to bet that the veteran can stay healthy and return to productivity. Trading Dexter shows an incredible level of faith in the veteran, even if that faith in Jarrett is a byproduct of his contract.
Trading Dexter also helps the Bears re-sign important free agents by removing the concern of paying the defender entering the last year of his rookie deal. Moving on from Dexter is less about the current money it frees up and more about the future concerns around managing to pay both defenders.
With this in mind, Jarrett should be both excited by the potential opportunity at hand, understanding that all the pressure that will be on him if Dexter is traded. The Bears appear to be banking on the hope that Jarrett's 2025 campaign was a blip on the radar and not that the veteran has aged overnight. Regardless of the real answer, Jarrett's role appears safe with Chicago betting on improvement that is important for the 2026 Chicago defense to live up to its potential.