The Chicago Bears had a huge season in 2025, winning 11 regular season games and finishing the year one play short of the NFC Championship. The magical season was made possible because of all of the offseason moves the team made in 2025.
While the majority of those moves paid off, some of them fell short of expectations. Because of Chicago’s success, those shortcomings were able to slide under the radar. However, Bears fans won’t have much patience in 2026, as the players enter their second year with the team.
One player headlining the group of 2025 free agency signings who need to bounce back is Grady Jarrett. The veteran defender was one of Chicago’s most exciting acquisitions a year ago, but he didn’t deliver on expectations. He’ll have the chance to flip the script in 2026.
Grady Jarrett needs a bounce-back season for Bears after underwhelming first year
Jarrett played 10 years with the Atlanta Falcons and was a two-time Pro Bowler (2019 and 2020) and second-team All-Pro (2019). That’s why there was a lot of excitement in Chicago when the team signed him to a three-year, $43.5 million deal. Although Jarrett was on the verge of turning 32 at the time of the signing, there was a belief that he could still play at a high level.
Unfortunately, Jarrett only ended up playing 14 games because of a knee injury. In those games, the defender recorded 39 total tackles, just one for a loss, and 1.5 sacks. Of course, as a defensive tackle, production isn’t always reflected in numbers, but Jarrett didn’t have the kind of impact that everyone was hoping for.
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He can change that in 2026. Jarrett still has two seasons left on his deal, and the Bears would love to see him healthy and more productive. If that happens, and Chicago’s defense sees improvement from its new additions, the defense should be significantly better. That will be great news for the Bears as they hope to have an even better season in 2026.
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