Not long after the Chicago Bears signed defensive tackle Grady Jarrett to a three-year deal, a video clip of him surfaced on social media. In it, he was mic’d up for a game in 2023 against the Green Bay Packers, who were visiting his Atlanta Falcons. During one sequence, he chased down a scrambling Jordan Love during a play. The Packers quarterback had something to say to Jarrett about it. The two-time Pro Bowler took exception to the words and proceeded to call Love a “little bitch.”
Sure enough, Jarrett was asked about that moment during his introductory press conference on March 12th. He could’ve easily deflected and dodged the question. Instead, he was honest. Sometimes, in football, as a competitor, you need to go to a dark place to achieve your full potential. That can sometimes lead to you saying some vile stuff. The comment that sent it over the edge was as follows.
“Yeah, I know I’ve got some crazy ones, and that was released so the stuff that’s not released gotta be super crazy.”
Grady Jarrett is exactly what the Bears need.
While talent has always been present on the defense since Poles took over in 2022, it always felt like something was missing. Great Bears defenses of the past had that one leader who brought the juice to his teammates through words and action. Akiem Hicks was that guy in the 2010s. Lance Briggs was that guy in the 2000s. Wilbur Marshall was that guy in the 1980s. This unit didn’t seem to have anybody of that nature. Grady Jarrett changes that. His energy, enthusiasm, and ability should give that locker room an instant jolt. Teammates will love him. If he even remotely resembles the player he was a couple of years ago before tearing his ACL in 2023, that front could feast.
Getting to play alongside guys like Montez Sweat, Dayo Odeyingbo, and Gervon Dexter should only make life easier for him.
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