The Chicago Bears' decision to give Grady Jarrett a three-year, $43.5 million deal last offseason came with plenty of praise. On paper, it was a masterful move by general manager Ryan Poles to give defensive coordinator Dennis Allen another proven veteran to count on.
Fast forward to today, and it clearly wasn't the case. The former Atlanta Falcons defensive star fleeced the Bears in his first season in the Windy City. That's why Poles might consider sending him somewhere else if he doesn't get his act together early in training camp or the upcoming season.
Grady Jarrett Will Have to Earn His Massive Paycheck Early Next Season
Jarrett is slated to make $14.25 million in base salary next season, per OverTheCap. He has the sixth-highest salary on the team, and his massive $18.9 million cap hit is also the sixth-highest. However, the Bears would save $10.9 million by trading him before June 1, taking an $8 million dead cap hit. A post-June 1 trade, on the other hand, would free up $14.9 million in cap space with a $4 million cap hit.
Jarrett arrived in the NFC North with a reputation for being a hard-hitting, pass-rushing defensive tackle with a knack for getting to the quarterback. He even had multiple seasons with at least 6.0 sacks, which is more than decent for an interior defensive lineman.
He struggled with a nagging knee injury early in the season and missed three games. But with this much time to get back to full strength and attend to that issue, there won't be any more excuses or any goodwill left for him next season. That's especially true after another offseason working with Allen and his staff.
Garrett finished his first year with the team with a total of 39 tackles (14 solo). He also had eight QB hits, one tackle for loss, 1.5 sacks, and three passes defensed. He came off the bench in all but four games and was slow and sluggish even when given a longer leash.
According to Pro Football Focus, Jarrett only mustered 23 total pressures across 481 pass-rushing downs. Although that wasn't his worst performance, the fact that he had 11 more pressures with 18 fewer opportunities in 2024 makes his latest effort all the more disappointing.
The Bears' offense took a big leap this season, but the front seven struggled to get to the quarterback. Plenty of that had to do with Jarrett's inability to justify his steep salary. He's not getting any younger, yet that doesn't give him an excuse to replicate last season's poor performance in 2026.
Jarrett needs to show he can be the leader that the Bears believed he was when he put pen to paper last offseason. Otherwise, his time in the Windy City might not last long.