‘Best seasons still ahead’: New addition Grady Jarrett looks to set the tone for Bears defense in training camp

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (WGN) — Grady Jarrett said his head was spinning when he heard his hometown Atlanta Falcons were releasing him. Hours later, he found out “the love was mutual” between him and the Chicago Bears.

On Wednesday, a new partnership formed between the two, with Jarrett letting the world know his best days are in front of him.

“You don’t know me yet, but we’ll see. You’ll get to learn,” Jarrett said. “I’m confident in my abilities to be highly productive and have my best seasons still ahead of me.”

General Manager Ryan Poles echoed those sentiments. He said it won’t take long for fans and media in Chicago to understand the energy and passion Jarrett brings to the game of football.

“With Grady being teammates with Matt Ryan, they shared the locker room and the words, how he described that man, is special,” Bears General Manager Ryan Poles said. “It won’t take you long to understand that he’s different.”

Jarrett, a two-time Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee, was released by the Falcons Monday after spending ten seasons with the franchise.

Two days later, he made a 3-year, $42 million deal official at Halas Hall to join the Bears.

“At the end of the day, this new contract I got with a new team is just motivating me,” Jarrett said. “I’m going to be like that until the day I can’t do this no more and so, I’m always going to strive to be better.”

Included during his Atlanta tenure was the Falcons’ loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI.

If not for Tom Brady and the Patriots’ immaculate comeback from being down 28-3 halfway through the third quarter, Jarrett might have had one of the more memorable Super Bowl performances on defense in recent memory. Despite losing 34-28, he accounted for three sacks and four QB hits.

Jarrett traditionally plays the 3-technique on the interior of the defensive line. He arrives in Chicago with 30 career sacks and 126 career quarterback hits—an Atlanta franchise record.

“Affecting the quarterback is the bottom line. Getting them off their spot, getting them uncomfortable,” Jarrett said. “So to be able to be in a position from an interior standpoint, it means a lot.”