Grady Jarrett refreshed and excited as he kicks off 2025 season with Chicago Bears

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI | By Bryan Perez | Last updated May 23, 2025 11:18 AM ET

Grady Jarrett was one of the Chicago Bears' biggest 2025 offseason additions. The 10-year veteran starred along the Atlanta Falcons' defensive line, including two Pro Bowls and an All-Pro bid during his career.

But after Jarrett tore his ACL in 2023, questions about whether he'd return to his pre-injury form were obvious. He returned to start all 17 games last season, but as is usually the case for players coming back from a significant knee injury, it's the year after the year after injury that's normally when a player nears their old self.

For Jarrett, that 'year' is 2025, and he's already feeling more refreshed and energized in his new home.

“It’s been refreshing, for sure,” Jarrett said from the team's OTAs this week. “It’s like having the experience of playing the prior 10 years, going on Year 11 now, but the new, refreshing feeling and excitement of being a — not really a rookie because I know how to be in the NFL, but just being in a new place for the first time around new people is really refreshing. It puts you in a position to where you want to put your best foot forward every day. Not that I’m saying that I didn’t want to, regardless of where I was prior, but it’s just natural human instinct."

Jarrett signed a three-year, $42.75 million contract with the Bears shortly after he was released by the Falcons, and he's expected to headline a powerful defensive line rotation that features Gervon Dexter, Andrew Billings, and rookie second-round pick Shemar Turner.

“I’ve been enjoying it, man, I’ve been enjoying it," Jarrett continued. "My life up here in Chicago has been awesome so far. I’m simple. I go to work, I stay like two minutes from here, the facility, go chill, come back, come to work. It’s a really simplified life for me right now in this transition. I’ve been enjoying it, man. It’s just going to continue to get better the more I continue to put in more work, learn everybody in the building, and, most importantly, start bringing some wins to this program.”

Grady Jarret finished the 2024 season with 54 tackles and 2.5 sacks. His best year came in 2019, when he totaled 69 tackles and 7.5 sacks.

It's unlikely the Bears will get that kind of production from Jarrett in 2025, but his impact will certainly be felt. He'll benefit from the depth and rotation of Chicago's interior defenders, which will allow him to remain fresher for longer periods during his 11th pro season.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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