One of the most painful moves of the Atlanta Falcons' offseason was parting ways with Grady Jarrett. It was time to make the move based on the cap situation and Jarrett's deserving of a new timeline. However, losing the veteran's leadership and support of Atlanta is a difficult blow to stomach. Seeing Jarrett in Chicago colors feels like watching Julio Jones in Tampa or Matt Ryan in Indy. Players who could have been Falcons for life simply don't belong in another uniform.
However, it is the unfortunate reality of a brutal business. The Falcons failed to take advantage of Jarrett's best seasons and now needed the extra cap space for a reset. Cap space that could have retained Jarrett if not for the Kirk Cousins debacle. Still, Jarrett remains excited for the new opportunity, with his recent quotes highlighting the change.
"“It’s been refreshing, for sure. 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."Grady Jarrett
Falcons' fans know they have no room to be offended at these comments. Based not only on what Jarrett meant to this organization, but what the veteran endured during his decade in Atlanta. Not once in ten years did the Falcons offer Jarrett the benefit of playing alongside a franchise edge rusher. Often, Jarrett was the one reliable presence for the Falcons' defense. Season after season of losing, Jarrett continued to be the ultimate example and leader in the locker room.
Not since the 2017 season have the Falcons finished with a winning record and yet the veteran never complained. This was far from accepting the loss, however, as there wasn't a single defensive player in the last decade of the franchise who contributed as much in an attempt to establish an elusive winning culture.
Fans can't help but feel good for Jarrett getting a fresh start after his offseason release. Maybe the reset will be what is needed to breathe energy back into the veteran's career and give the deserved recognition. So much of what the veteran did doesn't show up in the stat sheet and went unnoticed on bad Falcons teams. Playing under Ben Johnson for one of the prestige franchises offers Jarrett a chance for much-deserved recognition.