Grady Jarrett on signing with the Bears: “I’m just so fired up”

Ariana Pensy - Correspondent - Friday, March 14 2025

CHICAGO - When you have a season like the Chicago Bears did last season, it can be difficult to find players who want to come to your organization. However, defensive lineman Grady Jarrett was energetic and excited when asked about being signed by the Chicago Bears after playing with the Atlanta Falcons the past 10 seasons.

“Atlanta was my hometown, is my hometown with or without the Falcons. Atlanta will always have a special place in my heart and I’ll have a special place (for) the people there that supported me,” Jarrett said. “But, in this new chapter of my life, I’m so happy to be here in a great city like Chicago, an organization who has a history of just being dominant defense, legendary defense, Hall of Famers. I’m watching from afar, (to) be able to walk into a building that’s associated with Walter Payton. I’ve been a two-time Walter Payton Man of the Year Award nominee and met his family a couple times. So, the pride that I have in this place, I didn’t even know it really lived in me until I walked into the building. So, I’m just so fired up.”

During his time with the Falcons, Jarrett played in five postseason games, including Super Bowl LI. He was also voted to the Pro Bowl in 2019 and 2020. Although he is on the cusp of turning 32 in April, Jarrett is still playing at a high level as he recorded 2.5 sacks, 12 quarterback hits and nine tackles for loss last season. While players generally like playing in one place their entire career, Jarrett recognized the inevitability of eventually playing for another team and is glad that team is the Chicago Bears.

“If you play as long as I have and you want to keep playing, that time, it’s inevitable almost. But, my best days are still ahead of me and I just took it how it come and through faith, just trusting that something will come along and I think the perfect match came along when I had the opportunity to join this team, join (head coach) Ben (Johnson), being a part of something here that’s going to (be) special, me being somebody who wants to be in a position to compete for championships, encourage younger guys around me and just really share my experience and my hunger for greatness to others who want to achieve it. I’m in a special place in a special time and a special moment where I’m supposed to be and I’m just really, really trusting the process and that’s how I got here,” Jarrett said. “I think just being relentless in the pass rush, 36 sacks. I’m the franchise leader (for the Atlanta Falcons) in quarterback hits as well and sometimes (you) get seasons where guys may have like eight hits but they might have six sacks (or) you might have a guy who has 25 hits and three or four sacks … Affecting the quarterback is the bottom line - getting them off the spot, getting them uncomfortable. So, to be able to be in a position from an interior standpoint, it means a lot, especially when you’re going to have dominant guys from the outside coming in every direction and whatever else (defensive coordinator) Coach (Dennis) Allen (draws) up. So, being able to be a piece to add to this (group already) here, it means a lot.”

Jarrett has always been the trash-talking type of a player. His video trash-talking Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love has been circulated on the Internet and when asked about it during his introductory press conference as a member of the Chicago Bears, Jarrett expressed his enthusiasm for playing against Love twice a year and getting some wins against him.

“I’m excited to get to go against him two times a year now and just try to help this organization get some wins over that other team,” Jarrett said.

During his career, Jarrett has faced the Packers five times, winning three of those games. However, he has yet to record a sack against Green Bay. That should change this coming season in one of Chicago’s two matchups against them.