Grady Jarrett was by far the biggest surprise move by the Chicago Bears in free agency. While the offensive line retooling and targeting help at the defensive end were expected, landing a former two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle wasn’t on the list. There was no question his availability was a surprise. The Atlanta Falcons had a poor pass rush last season, so unloading their best interior rusher felt like a curious decision. Jarrett was also surprised by it, especially after being a bright spot for their mostly bad defenses since arriving in 2015.
One would completely understand if the 31-year-old is bitter about the exit. Many players would be. They’d immediately have an eye on getting some revenge at the first opportunity. Jarrett was asked about this during his introductory press conference. To the surprise of many, he shut that down immediately. He’s not interested in revenge on the Falcons. In fact, he’s not interested in them at all.
“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 gonna get back at Atlanta’… We don’t even play Atlanta this year. So whatever they’re doing ain’t got nothing to do with me, you know. So all my energy, all my focus is right here in Chicago.”
Grady Jarrett understands the business of the NFL.
His maturity and intellect were obvious from the moment he spoke with reporters. This is somebody who has a deep understanding of how the NFL works. There would always be a time when he would have to face the music in Atlanta. For one reason or another, they would decide it was time to move on. It happened with Matt Ryan. It happened with Julio Jones. He was no different. No matter how great players are, most of them don’t get the choice to play their entire careers with one organization. Being bitter about that reality is a waste of time and mental resources.
He’d rather focus on how he can help his new team. Grady Jarrett feels the Bears have something brewing. While he may not be the player he was five years ago, he’s still good. He has certain qualities this defense was missing last year. If he provides them, along with some outstanding leadership, Chicago could be in for a treat.
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