While the new-look Chicago Bears have quickly established themselves among the NFC's top contenders, there is no denying that there is one veteran who hasn't exactly played a big role in his team's success. Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett was signed in the offseason to a three-year $43.5 million deal that has very quickly aged incredibly poorly, highlighted by a 53.7 Pro Football Focus grade, which ranks 93rd among 124 players at his position.
It isn't only Jarrett's level of play that has frustrated, but also his struggles to stay healthy. His early woes could potentially open the door for a surprise contributor at the position, with 27-year-old DT Chris Williams perfectly fitting this description. Williams has been solid each of the past two games despite playing limited snaps, proven (for the most part) by how his latest PFF grades compare to his season performance.
Week 9 | Week 10 | Season Average | |
|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 73.9 | 74.5 | 58.8 |
Run Defense | 60.0 | 66.8 | 53.6 |
Pass Rush | 71.0 | 53.6 | 57.8 |
Tackling | 67.3 | 72.2 | 73.7 |
Two solid weeks from Williams are all the team needed to begin to consider making a change, understanding just how awful Jarrett has been. The offseason has seemingly aged a decade overnight, unable to make it to the quarterback and looking a step slow in run defense. It's a complete mess that the Bears are stuck with based on Jarrett's deal, guaranteeing enough of his contract to keep the veteran on the roster for at least the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
Bears Could Find Surprise Defensive Line Contributor in Chris Williams
Just because the veteran must be kept on the roster doesn't mean the Bears have to keep him in the lineup, though. It is time to lessen Jarrett's snaps and further evaluate if upping Williams' snaps changes the results. Last season, the ex-Wagner defender played only 34% of Chicago's defensive snaps, with that number slipping all the way down to 26% this season, indicating that he may have been forgotten by head coach Ben Johnson's staff.
Even while the results have been increasingly solid from the forgotten trade addition, the Bears have continued to roll with Jarrett. While the former Falcon is a better pass rusher than Williams, there is no question that the latter's size(6-foot-2, 298 lbs) and play style are better suited to stopping the run. This perfectly sets the stage for his snap count to drastically go up as Chicago gets ready to take on the Minnesota Vikings.
The Vikings badly want to establish the run to protect J.J. McCarthy and take pressure off the young quarterback. If the Bears want to make McCarthy's life as difficult as possible, they need someone like Williams who can help stuff run lanes, forcing the Vikings to air out the ball after McCarthy has already tossed six interceptions in four games so far.
Williams has been an often-forgotten player on Chicago's roster, but that can change with another standout effort against Minnesota. His stock has a great opportunity to skyrocket due to Jarrett's ineptitude along the defensive line, making the situation worth keeping an eye on as the Bears get deeper into the season and continue to search for the defensive production they've been craving.