There is nothing in the NFL that gets the blood pumping like a good old-fashioned revenge game. Facing off against the team you left or let you go is the ultimate motivator in this league, and it's something the Atlanta Falcons will have to deal with as they host the Chicago Bears in Week 6.
There are plenty of connections between the Falcons and Bears, including Gervon Dexter Sr., Olamide Zaccheus, and even new general manager Ian Cunningham, but the most meaningful connection comes from the visitors, as Grady Jarrett will make his return to Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
As I'm sure all of you are aware by now, Jarrett spent the first 10 seasons of his career in red and black, where he became a fan favorite and made two Pro Bowls. However, when it became clear Atlanta wouldn't sign him long-term again, he signed with the Bears during the 2025 offseason.
While addressing the media on Wednesday, Jarrett said "grateful" is the word he would use to describe the first decade of his career with the Falcons, and it's hard to blame him. He nearly won Super Bowl LI here, and he's an Atlanta native who went to Clemson, he built his life through this city.
The 33-year-old doesn't fit the vision Jeff Ulbrich and Nate Ollie have for this defensive line, but that doesn't mean they should look past his lack of elite size on account of an emotional reunion.
Week 6 will provide an emotional reunion to ex-Falcon Grady Jarrett
Grady Jarrett may not be the player he was in his prime years, bit he's still a quality interior lineman. He's started all five games for the Bears this season and has racked up nine pressures, although eight of them have come in just two games--so this will be an interesting clash given the circumstances.
Jarrett was a 2015 fifth-round pick out of Clemson who developed into one of the Falcons' best (and most important) defenders of the last decade. I'm sure it means more for him to be back in Atlanta than he can put into words, especially given all of the relationships he built across 10 seasons here.
The All-Pro DT also mentioned he respects this Atlanta offensive line, which you'd expect given he played with all of these guys except Jawaan Taylor. He faced off with Jake Matthews and Chris Lindstrom a lot in practice, and he even got some face time with Matthew Bergeron for two seasons.
That's a lot of familiarity for one matchup, and whether it turns out to be a blessing or a curse for the Dirty Birds remains to be seen. But this offensive line has mostly held up this season, and Atlanta should have the size advantage against Chicago's defensive line--which is bad news for Jarrett.
However, according to ESPN research, his 22% pass-rush win rate is fifth among all defensive tackles--and two of the three players ahead of him are Brandon Dorlus and old friend Gervon Dexter. And while Grady can get to the QB, he's regressed a considerable amount as a run defender.
Given the Falcons want to play smash-mouth, physical football and center their offense through winning at the line of scrimmage with Bijan Robinson and the run game, this isn't exactly the most advantageous matchup for No. 50 personally--even with the emotional storyline.
Grady Jarrett has a lot of love for the Falcons and that love is mutual, but turning that homecoming into a positive revenge game will be a different story.
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