One of the few recent free agency or draft misses the Chicago Bears could point to is the lack of production from Grady Jarrett in the 2025 season. Still, the defender was stuck with the franchise as the cap situation made it impossible to justify turning the page, with far more value in Jarrett being rostered. The lineman has taken advantage of this chance and turned around his Bears tenure looking far more like the explosive presence he was during his years with the Atlanta Falcons.
Jarrett has yet to register a sack, but consistently shows up in the middle of the line, demanding attention and opening up opportunities for pass rushers. This is reflected by a PFF grade of 66.3, which ranks 37th out of 133 qualifiers pointing to the clear growth in comparison to a season ago. Jarrett added to this with nine pressures thus far and a consistent ability to plug up the middle of the Chicago defense.
It is fair to wonder if last year's struggles were due to a lingering knee injury and not actual regression. Jarrett's age was questioned based on the inability to stay in the lineup and underwhelming impact during the stretches the defender was in the lineup.
This script has been flipped in the 2026 season, as Jarrett is proving why Ryan Poles paid such a high price to bring the lineman in. Jarrett was never expected to be the star presence for the defense, but a veteran helping set the tone and offering the Bears a respected leader as they make a youth movement defensively.
Bears defender Grady Jarrett has clearly put career back on track after frustrating 2025 season
It should be noted here as well that Jarrett has a history of playing his absolute best when the stakes are highest. Whether this is in his limited playoff history or at the end of games, the interior defender has found ways to make an impact. This was on display in Jarrett's lone Super Bowl appearance, with 3.0 sacks of Tom Brady in what was a closely fought loss.
No question, the Bears have to be feeling far better about where things currently stand with their defensive line. Jarrett living up to expectations as well as finding young building blocks have put into place the pieces that Dennis Allen needs to have a unit capable of supporting a potential Super Bowl run.
Jarrett hasn't been in a playoff game since the 2017 season, this was the defender's second year in the league making it clear how long he has played in obscurity. It is long deserved that Chicago has handed the veteran not only a chance to play a meaningful role for a young and talented team, but a chance to return to meaningful contention once again.
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