The NFL offseason is been a wild ride for the Chicago Bears, who've seen plenty of fresh faces added amid head coach Ben Johnson's first offseason with the team.
Several free-agent veterans were signed to help the Bears compete for a playoff spot next season, including defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. The two-time Pro Bowl defender signed a three-year, $43.5 million contract with Chicago as soon as free agency began, and will be counted on to be one of Johnson's top defensive leaders next season and beyond.
Joining a new franchise can be intimidating, especially when the fanbase is as passionate as Bears fans. Fortunately, it hasn't taken Jarrett long to warm up to the Windy City faithful and vice versa.
Bears DT Grady Jarrett Already Embracing Chicago Fans, Windy City Life
Garrett was in attendance at Wrigley Field on Tuesday afternoon to throw out the first pitch for the latest Chicago Cubs-L.A. Dodgers showdown. The former All-Pro defender spoke about his brief time in Chicago with Marquee Sports Network before the MLB matchup, making it clear that he already loves his new home.
"It's been an amazing experience. The city has been wonderful," Jarrett said. "The love (the fans) have shown me and my family has been awesome. Me just experiencing the city, from the food, the culture, the sports teams... It's a pro city, so I'm happy to be a part of it."
It isn't a secret what Jarrett can do on the field with 10 years of NFL experience under his belt. The ex-Clemson Tiger racked up 267 solo tackles, 36.5 sacks, six defended passes, five forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries in 152 career games (137 starts) with the Atlanta Falcons.
Having said that, he also vowed to give Bears fans the same effort off the field as he does on the gridiron.
"Grady Jarrett gonna give you everything he got, every day in the community, on the field," Jarrett declared. "I'm going to be a role model, and you're going to be proud of the way I play the game. I'm gonna bring Chicago a lot of pride and, hopefully, a lot of wins and some championships."
Jarrett will quickly become even more beloved if he goes on to help the Bears return to the playoffs. Chicago hasn't tasted postseason football since 2020, having gone a combined 21-47 across the last four campaigns.
It's going to take Jarrett and the rest of the Bears' veterans stepping up to help end the playoff drought, though. FanDuel Sportsbook is only giving Chicago +156 odds to qualify for the 2025-26 NFL playoffs, which is an implied probability of only 39.1%.
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Odds update periodically and are subject to change.