The Chicago Bears have backed themselves into a corner with Grady Jarrett. They gave him a three-year, $45.5 million contract in the offseason, and while that looked like decent value at the time, he didn't come close to meeting expectations in his first year in the Windy City.
The former Atlanta Falcons recorded 39 tackles (14 solo), eight QB hits, three passes defended, 1.5 sacks, and one tackle for loss during the 2025 campaign. More troubling than those raw totals, Jarrett only started four games and missed time with a knee injury. That's why the Bears desperately need to figure out what to do with him.
Trading Grady Jarrett Might be Chicago's Best Option at Cap Relief
At the time of writing, the Bears are $5.3 million over the salary cap, according to Over The Cap. Jarrett's massive $18.92 million cap hit has plenty to do with that, and there's not much they can do to alleviate that financial burden.
Releasing the defensive lineman isn't an option right now. Believe it or not, releasing Jarrett before June 1 would cost the Bears an additional $2.01 million, while doing so after that date would result in only $1.92 million in savings. That's cap relief is something, of course, but not worth all the trouble.
As things stand now, their only feasible options are to either restructure his deal -- which would clear up $6.63 million -- or trade him. A pre-June 1 trade would clear $10.92 million in space, while a post-June 1 deal would drive that up to $14.92 million.
The Bears will probably look to restructure his contract to keep him in town. That's the most realistic scenario. There is reason for Ryan Poles and the coaching staff to believe last season was a fluke because the veteran was never truly healthy, leading to a belief, or perhaps hope, that he can return to being the same stout pass-rushing interior defender he was before last season.
Chicago still needs to re-sign Kevin Byard, find a replacement for C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and add a pass rusher, so they may not have much of a choice here. It should be noted that Jarrett's deal will be much more manageable after the 2026 season. His cap hit will drop to $16.75 million in 2027, and the Bears could clear $12 million by cutting him or $12.75 million by trading him.
Watching the Bears pay Jarrett the sixth-highest salary on the team clearly isn't ideal, especially if he's going to be Shemar Turner's backup. That said, a 31-year-old coming off missing multiple games and making that type of cash won't have much -- if any -- trade value. For the time being, it looks like they're just stuck with one another, and Chicago will have to do what it can to restructure his deal to free up the necessary money to address the other needs on this roster.