After a disappointing debut impacted by injuries and underwhelming production, Chicago Bears veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett faces mounting pressure to justify his contract.
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles made it an emphasis going into the 2025 NFL season to address the offensive and defensive lines.
Poles did that by adding five new starters on both sides of the ball: Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, Jonah Jackson, Dayo Odeyingbo and Grady Jarrett.
Chicago's three additions on the interior of the offensive line played in every game and hardly missed any snaps. That wasn't the case for defensive starters. Odeyingbo's season ended in Week 9 against the Cincinnati Bengals after he tore his Achilles. Jarrett played in 14 regular-season games, but a knee injury impacted him for most of the season, causing him to miss three games. Rookie Shemar Turner also sustained a season-ending ACL injury.
Jarrett finished with 39 total tackles, 1.5 sacks and three passes defensed in his first season with the Bears. Jarrett signed a three-year, $42.75 million deal with 27.25 million guaranteed at signing.
With Jarrett's limited production and current contract, he has landed in a situation that neither the player or front office ever want to face.
In a recent study conducted by Casino Guru USA, Jarrett ranks as the third most overpaid player in the NFL. The study analyzed player performance relative to their 2026 cap totals and used Pro Football Reference's Approximate Value (AV) to score each one out of 100, excluding those who missed significant time due to injuries.
Jarret scored an 86 out of 100, recording an AV of 2, despite carrying an $18.9 million cap hit.
This shouldn't be surprising considering Jarrett's production last season and his current contract. Although having a healthier defensive line should help create better results in 2026, the veteran understands it's on the individuals to step up their respective games.
"All we can do is look in the mirror and challenge ourselves everyday to go be better and do what we need to do to have a better output," Jarrett said during OTAs.
Jarrett's knee injury impacted him early in the 2025 season and the 33-year-old veteran acknowledge that he tried to get through and adjust to his situation. Towards the end of the regular season, he started to produce more consistently. In the final four games, he finished with 17 total tackles, 1.5 sacks and two PBUs.
With Jarrett feeling healthy entering this season and another year in defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's system, the Bears' defensive lineman is looking forward to his 12th season in the NFL.
"I know that I owe Chicago a better year, and I'm excited to go do that," Jarrett said.
