The Chicago Bears took aggressive steps toward upgrading the trenches on both sides of the ball on Day 1 of 2025 NFL free agency, adding center Drew Dalman, edge rusher Dayo Odeyingbo, and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett within the first few hours of the negotiation period.
Jarrett is the most recognizable household name. A 10-year veteran and two-time Pro Bowler, Jarrett profiles as a slightly-past-his-prime-three technique who will slide into an impressive rotation with Gervon Dexter and Andrew Billings on the Bears’ depth chart.
I’m a fan of the move; I gave Ryan Poles a strong grade for his decision to pay Jarrett a three-year, $43.5 million contract.
Apparently, I’m a very friendly grader.
Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame is issuing grades for every major move in 2025 free agency, and he wasn’t kind to the Bears and Grady Jarrett. He gave the transaction a D-.
“Jarrett turns 32 years old in April and has been slowing down in recent seasons,” Vererame wrote. “In fact, over his past four campaigns, he has only once topped three sacks. Additionally, the Bears just finished paying Dayo Odeyingbo $48 million over three years to play alongside Gervon Dexter Sr.
“It’s a big payday for Jarrett, who is at the point of his career where one-year deals are in order.”
I get it. Jarrett is almost 32 years old, and of course, when a player is on the wrong side of 30, they aren’t the same player they were at 25.
But Jarrett doesn’t have to be that guy for the Bears.
Instead, Grady Jarrett will be a valuable three-tech in critical passing situations who can pair with Dexter or Billings to form one of the better defensive tackle trios in the NFC North.
And, look, contracts are all getting inflated in 2025. I’d argue Jarrett’s deal, one that pays $14.5 million per season and ranks 19th among defensive tackles, is a reasonable market value for a player with his resume.
It’s important to remember how valuable Jarrett will be in the locker room, too. The Bears need leaders, guys who’ve been there and done that, at a high level. Chicago isn’t just trying to get better on the field; they’re trying to change the culture off of it, too. It’s an element of the Jarrett signing that must be taken into consideration.
Beauty (and value) of free-agent signings is in the eye of the beholder. Verderame doesn’t like the Bears’ move, but a deeper dive into Chicago’s need for a traditional three-technique and the reasonable market value Poles paid for Jarrett makes the signing a strong one.
