The Chicago Bears knew they needed help along the defensive line at the beginning of last offseason. Montez Sweat couldn’t do it alone. Their biggest addition was defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo. His massive size, power, and versatility could make for a valuable weapon up front. Unfortunately, plans for him were thrown into disarray when Austin Booker injured his knee in the preseason. That forced Dennis Allen to play Odeyingbo mostly outside, which was fine against the run, but not so much on passing downs.
It got even worse when he tore his Achilles midway through the season. Just like that, it was over. He was done for the year, having managed just 1.5 sacks. Most weren’t optimistic he could rebound in 2026. Not coming off an injury of that severity. So imagine the shock of watching Odeyingbo collect 3 sacks in his first 4 games. He’s been the biggest surprise of the season by miles. However, he hasn’t been the only one. Recent data reveals that not enough people have been noticing how effective Grady Jarrett has been as well.
Jarrett has quietly worn more hats than Dayo Odeyingbo.
While the defensive end has achieved his rebound through effective pass rush, the old defensive tackle is doing a little of everything. Not only does he have 8 interior pressures, but he also has 3 run stops for no gain or loss. Every time the Bears have needed somebody to make adjustments and stop the bleeding, Jarrett has been the one to do it. Perhaps what stands out even more than his effective individual plays is how he directs traffic. You constantly see him communicating with teammates, getting them lined up in the right spots, and telling them what’s coming.
Dayo Odeyingbo has had the greatest impact, which is why he’s getting most of the attention. Still, that should not subtract from the job Jarrett is doing. Remember, the man is 33 years old. It felt like he’d run out of gas last season, failing to influence games at a high level anymore. His leadership was never questioned, but that isn’t what the Bears paid for. They were hoping for one more year of the player he was in Atlanta. While he still isn’t that guy this season, he has been far more noticeable.
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It feels like the Bears are managing his snaps carefully.
Each week, they’ve alternated between heavy and lighter workloads. In the opener against Carolina, he logged 29 snaps. The following week, it dropped to 18. Against Philadelphia, it went back up to 28. Then last week he had 13 against the Jets. Allen and the coaches might be trying to give Jarrett’s body as much help as possible. They recognize he can’t go full throttle every week like he used to. So one week he goes all out, and the next week he gets extra snaps off to refill the gas tank.
It seems to have worked. All 8 of Jarrett’s pressures have come in games where he played the full slate of snaps. Each one came after extensive rest periods. The Bears may have found a solution that works. Improving their defensive tackle depth has certainly helped, with Odeyingbo able to move inside and the arrival of Neville Gallimore, Kentavius Street, and others.
