It's been 648 days since Grady Jarrett last played in Mercedes-Benz Stadium and he won't be hitting the field with the colors Atlanta Falcons fans are used to. Although the former Falcon will be dressed in navy blue and orange for the Bears on Sunday, he still hasn't lost any love for the home (town) team.
He recently spoke to reporters about his time in Atlanta earlier this week, telling Falcons senior reporter Will McFadden, summarizing it with one word, "grateful". Jarrett spent 10 seasons with his former team, including a Super Bowl appearance and multiple playoff runs early on. He saw them through their best and stuck with them through their worst.
Even with almost two years off the Falcons field, Grady hasn't lost any connection to his team and the offensive line, telling senior Falcons reporter Tori McElhaney "I highly, highly respect that group." He spoke on how the team has gotten better year by year and the respect he has for the organization.
There's one player closer than most with Grady though and it's his old teammate Gervon Dexter. who was traded to the Falcons from Chicago. He was drafted by the Bears in 2023 out of Florida, where Falcons GM Ian Cunningham (then the Bears assistant GM) was in the war room when he got drafted.
The second-round pick looked like a top of the line interior pass threat but injuries and extremely lack luster run support held him back. Although when Cunningham joined the Falcons as their GM, trade rumors came out and they didn't pay off until months later when Dexter was actually traded.
The Gervon Dexter Sr. trade gives Grady Jarrett a way to pass on the keys to the Falcons interior
And while the return to Atlanta is bound to stir up some emotions, perhaps most of the emotions will come courtesy of Dexter and Jarrett themselves.
When Gervon Dexter Sr. was officially traded to Atlanta, one of the first notifications on his phone came from Grady Jarrett, who told the youngster that he'd be "in good hands" in Atlanta.
While telling reporters that Gervon was a young, up-and-coming star, Jarrett talked about their deeper connection too and relationship off the field, considering himself and Gervon Dexter Sr. to be "brothers"
"We were like brothers," Jarrett told Daniel Flick. "For him to be able to go to a place like Atlanta, I knew he was in good hands. It did me good on both ends to know he's doing well and he's going to a place that's very special to me."
Jarrett was also one of the first people to text Dexter when he signed his four-year, $76 million contract extension a few weeks ago, Grady was one of the first people to text and congratulate his brother, hyping him up and letting Atlanta know they've locked down a young star for years to come.
Grady Jarrett was also seen as a very special player to the Falcons. Alongside Jarrett's 36 sacks, and 2 Pro Bowls as a Falcon, he participated in multiple foundations supporting anti-bullying and youth sports in Atlanta.
He's a former 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee, who means more to this organization than words can describe. In a sense now Grady Jarrett passes the reigns to Gervon Dexter Sr. as the future for Atlanta on the interior defensive line--and Sunday will be a matchup of past and present.
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