Atlanta Falcons Agree To Four Year Deal With Grady Jarrett

About an hour before the deadline, Grady Jarrett and the Atlanta Falcons reached agreements on a new contract. Jarrett signed a four year, $68 million deal after being tagged by the franchise earlier this offseason.

The Atlanta Falcons were always going to get to this moment. Grady would have been playing on a $15 million tag but he has been an anchor on the Falcons under performing defensive line for the past few seasons.

Not only has Jarrett has outperformed his fifth round draft position, he’s been positive off the field, is a hometown kid having went to Rockdale High School, just a 30 or so minute drive outside of Atlanta, and his dad is a Falcons legend, Jessie Tuggle.

On those merits, this signing makes sense.

Jarrett jumped into the spotlight when he logged three sacks in a Super Bowl LI as he tormented the New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

But at the same time, Jarrett is now the third highest paid defensive tackle in the NFL behind Aaron Donald and Fletcher Cox. While he’s been solid for the Falcons, he hasn’t necessarily had the type of impact the third highest paid player at his position should have.

In his four years in the league, he has amassed only 14 sacks. Fletcher Cox had 10.5 last year alone. And Donald has had double digit sacks in three of his five years. Most players perform highly, get a big deal and then flame out. Remember Albert Haynesworth?

But for the Falcons they can only hope the inverse is true. That Jarrett is starting to enter his prime going into his age 26 season. And that maybe, just maybe the fat contract will lead to Jarrett’s first pro bowl selection on a defensive line that seems allergic to sacking the quarterback.

For now, congratulations to Grady Jarrett. And it’ll be a pleasure watching you perform in Atlanta for the foreseeable future. Good luck!