The 2025 campaign was a success for the Chicago Bears overall, but for defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, it was a failed attempt at making a solid first impression with the fan base.
Jarrett is seen as a great leader in the organization, but that was mixed with a disappointing season on the field. Over the past week, Jarrett has been very vocal about focusing on playing better for the team in 2026, and he took that same message into his radio interview, which felt more like a warning to the NFL that big things were coming for him.
"I'm putting in every work," Jarrett said via ESPN Chicago. "One thing I'm not doing every day is getting up grinding just to make it by, or just to go out on the field and just, you know, try to just survive. I'm going out there trying to be the best. I'm going out there trying to put my best foot forward. And there's nothing more prideful for me as a Year 12 guy to see myself going against some of these guys that watched me when they was in middle school and high school get to compete up on them and try to beat up on them still. And so it's like, for me, it's a matter of pride and the love for the game. I love doing this. There's nothing else in life that I really want to do. And obviously, I got more years behind me than I got ahead of me. So I'm not in a rush to really just go do something just to do it. I only got a certain amount of time when I'm still playing ball, and I'm going to make the most of it."
Grady Jarrett seems poised for a drastically improved 2026 season
While the eye test made it clear that Jarrett did not have a great season, the numbers also don't lie about his performance. In 14 games last season, he racked up 39 tackles, eight quarterback hits, three pass deflections, 1.5 sacks, and one tackle for loss. Pro Football Focus gave Jarrett a grade of 56.7, ranking 76th out of 134 interior defensive linemen in the NFL.
Overall, it was not a good year for Jarrett, as an injury affected his play, and he did not have the same impact in stopping the run as he did with the Atlanta Falcons. Chicago gave him good money last offseason, signing him to a three-year, $43.3 million contract, and he has not come close to living up to those standards yet.
It was apparent that the Bears were not happy with his performance because they went to work in the offseason to add a ton of depth at defensive tackle. They brought in Neville Gallimore, James Lynch, Kentavius Street, and rookie sixth-round pick Jordan van den Berg.
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It's clear to everyone that Jarrett might already be in a make-or-break season for the Bears, a chance to show he can still play. He seems more than determined to get that done, so Bears fans can be more confident that things will be different this time around.
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