LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — After a decade with the Falcons, Georgia native Grady Jarrett learned Monday morning that his tenure with the team was over.
A mainstay on the defensive line in Atlanta, the 31-year-old Jarrett was released by the Falcons. He was no longer a part of the lone organization he had ever known, but it didn’t take long for Jarrett to find a new one.
The Bears were drawn to everything about Jarrett’s time with the Falcons – how he carried himself on the field with a relentless determination, his performance and the way he worked as a leader in Atlanta.
Just as Jarrett connected with the Falcons, he felt an immediate draw to the Bears, with whom he soon reached a three-year deal.
“My best days are still ahead of me,” Jarrett said Wednesday as he was introduced at Halas Hall. “And I just kind of took it how it comes, and through faith, just trusting that something will come along, I think the perfect match came along.
“I'm in as special place in a special time in a special moment where I'm supposed to be.”
In Atlanta, Jarrett was a two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle and an instrumental part of the Falcons’ identity. He was a team captain who had 36.5 sacks in the regular season across 10 years and three sacks in Super Bowl LI. The son of Falcons great Jesse Tuggle, Jarrett once seemed in line to play his entire career with the organization.
But the Falcons are in a precarious salary cap situation thanks in large part to the contract of now-backup quarterback Kirk Cousins. So Atlanta had to bid farewell to one of its favorites.
“I gave Atlanta my all,” Jarrett said. “Everybody in that building, organization, (they) know I gave Atlanta my all. I'm from Atlanta with or without the Falcons. Atlanta is always going to show me love. I'm going to show Atlanta love. I'm so invested already in the community. Life goes on. But my motivation doesn't come from trying to get back or vengeance or whatever it is. I'm focused on the next thing, and my next thing is here.
“I would be robbing Chicago coaches, players, fans, if I was up here worried about how Atlanta made me feel. And, so, even to give that energy to say, 'I'm going to get back at Atlanta' — we don't even play Atlanta this year.
“All my energy, all my focus is right here in Chicago and that's where it's going and that's where it's going to be.”
Jarrett learned of his release in Atlanta on Monday morning. By 2:30 p.m. CT, he had agreed to a three-year, $43.5-million deal with the Bears.
The Bears saw Jarrett as a significant upgrade for their defensive line, a disruptive force who can step in immediately as their new three-technique defensive tackle. He'll pair with nose tackle Andrew Billings on the inside with the hope of creating opportunities for edge rushers Montez Sweat and the newly acquired Dayo Odeyingbo on the outside.
Beyond that, the Bears believe Jarrett will make an impact in the locker room as well.
“This is a guy for a number of years now that's played at a fantastically high level,” Bears head coach Ben Johnson said. “This guy is outstanding. You feel his presence. He's a guy you have to game plan for when you go against him.
“You come out of the game, you're sore because you played against him. He's relentless. He's passionate about what he does. Just talking to him today gave me goosebumps because this guy loves football and he's going to bring that element to the team.”
New Bears left guard Joe Thuney was on the other side of the line as a member of the Patriots when Jarrett racked up three sacks in Super Bowl LI in February 2017.
“He's a tremendous player,” Thuney said. “Great defensive lineman – size, speed, strength, power, and intelligence of the game. Glad he's on our team now.”
Jarrett will be the elder statesman of Chicago's defense. He'll turn 32 in late April and is the oldest player on the team on that side of the football.
Now in a new city and playing for a different team, Jarrett plans to be the same tone-setter for the Bears as he was for the Falcons.
“If I didn’t have that confidence, I wouldn’t be sitting here,” Jarrett said. “If I got comfortable after my first contract extension, I wouldn’t be sitting here. If I got comfortable after my second contract extension, I wouldn’t be sitting here. And at the end of the day, this new contract that I got with a new team is just motivating. I’m going to be like that until the day I can’t do this anymore. I’m going to always strive to be better, I’m going to always strive to learn and you never really figure it all out. The day you think you figured it all out, you can only go down.
“My body is good, my body is strong and my mind is hungry to learn. I’m just in a position to where I’m in a special place at the right time around the right people, and I’m super excited about what’s to come.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.