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Overpaid Falcon Robbed the Team Blind With 2024 Performance (And It Wasn’t Kirk Cousins)

Veteran defensive lineman Grady Jarrett struggled to return to Pro Bowl form in 2024 coming off a torn ACL in 2023.

By Jovan Alford

Oct 1, 2023; London, United Kingdom; Atlanta Falcons defensive end Grady Jarrett (97), defensive tackle Calais Campbell (93) and guard Matthew Bergeron (65)enter the field during an NFL International Series game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium.
Oct 1, 2023; London, United Kingdom; Atlanta Falcons defensive end Grady Jarrett (97), defensive tackle Calais Campbell (93) and guard Matthew Bergeron (65)enter the field during an NFL International Series game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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The Atlanta Falcons were expected to win the NFC South division and make the playoffs this season. In the offseason, they signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract.

The former Vikings QB was viewed as the final piece for Atlanta to help them get over the hump with their young core on offense. However, Cousins did not live up to the high expectations on his shoulders and became a net negative for the Falcons. 

The veteran quarterback completed 66.9 percent of his passes for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. Ultimately, the Falcons benched Cousins for the last three games of the season and went with rookie Michael Penix Jr.

Penix couldn’t get the Falcons into the playoffs, as Atlanta went 1-2 in its last three games. But he showed a ton of promise heading into next season. Based on Cousins’ performance, most Falcon fans would say he robbed the team this season.

Falcons' Grady Jarrett Was Wildly Overpaid

While Cousins would be the consensus answer, veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett wasn’t any better in 2024. The 31-year-old defensive lineman posted 53 combined tackles, 18 quarterback pressures, 12 QB hits, nine tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks.

For most NFL defensive linemen, those stats from Jarrett are solid. However, when you have a defender with a $20.3 million cap hit, the Falcons expected more from him. 

Jarrett played all 17 games this season, a fantastic improvement from 2023 when he played eight games before suffering a torn ACL. Before that injury in 2023, the veteran defensive lineman was coming off a solid 2022 season where he had 22 QB pressures, 17 QB hits, 12 tackles for loss, and six sacks.

Atlanta fans were likely hoping for ‘22 Jarrett to show up this season, but it never materialized. The veteran defensive lineman’s PFF grades reflected his struggles as he had a 60.6 pass rush (ranking 98th among 219 defensive linemen) and a 61.5 run defense grade (54th).

For a player who has been named to two Pro Bowls, that’s unacceptable and one of the reasons why the Falcons’ defensive line struggled as a whole. Nonetheless, Atlanta fans hope Jarrett will return to Pro Bowl form in 2025 as he’s entering the last year of his three-year extension. If that happens, the Falcons' defense should be okay and ready to compete for the NFC South crown.

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