Grady Jarrett (born April 28, 1993) is an American professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that typically lines up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the Guard (American football), offensive guards; however, he may also line up opposite one of the offensive Tackle (gridir ...

for the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

of the

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(NFL). He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the

Clemson Tigers The Clemson Tigers are the sport, athletic teams that represent Clemson University, located in Clemson, South Carolina. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I level (NCAA Divis ...

and was drafted by the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...

in the 5th round of the

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Early life

Jarrett attended Rockdale County High School in

Conyers, Georgia Conyers is a city and the county seat of Rockdale County, Georgia, United States. The city is 24 miles (38.6 km) east of downtown Atlanta and is a part of the Metro Atlanta, Atlanta metropolitan area. As of 2020 United States census, 202 ...

, where he was a two-time All-state selection. A four-year starter on both sides of the ball, he had 198

tackles Tackle may refer to: * In football: ** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football ** Tackle (gridiron football position) A tackle is a playing position in American football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent ...

, 63 tackles for a loss, and 27.5 sacks over his last two years. He was a three-time All-regional selection on defense and second-team All-region on offense as a senior, as well as a three-time selection as the team's top defensive player after compiling 101 tackles (31.5 for a loss) and nine sacks. He also played in the North-South All-Star game in Georgia and Florida Maxx Scout All-Star Bowl; in the two games combined, he had 17 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and three caused fumbles. In addition, Jarrett was also a member of the school's

wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...

team; he was fourth in the state as a junior and won the state

heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Male boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 2 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation an ...

title as a senior. Also a top performer in

track & field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and ...

, Jarrett won the state title in the

shot put The shot put is a track-and-field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical Ball (sports), ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. For men, the sport has been a part of the Olympic Games, modern Olympics since their 1896 Summer Olym ...

as a senior with a throw of 15.46 meters (50-6). Jarrett was rated by '' Rivals.com'' as a three-star recruit. He was rated the No. 41

in the nation by '' Scout.com''. He committed to

Clemson University Clemson University () is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university near Clemson, South Carolina, United States. - The blue-shaded pattern denotes university property. This shows Clemson University is ''out ...

to play

College career

Jarrett attended Clemson from 2011 to 2014. As a

true freshman The following terms are used in American football, both conventional and indoor. Some of these terms are also in use in Canadian football; for a list of terms unique to that code, see '' Glossary of Canadian football''. 0–9 ...

, he appeared in nine games, making two tackles. As a sophomore, Jarrett started 11 of 13 games. He had 49 tackles and had two sacks. As a starter his junior season, he had 83 tackles and two sacks in 13 games. He again started all 13 games during his senior season, recording 73 tackles and 1.5 sacks and was named first-team All-

Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the ACC's eighteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athlet ...

in recognition of his successful senior season.

College statistics

Professional career

Atlanta Falcons

2015

Jarrett was selected in the fifth round (137th overall) by the

in the

. Atlanta traded two draft picks to the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...

to move up and take Jarrett, giving up their 146th and 187th picks. Jarrett came to terms with the Falcons on May 9, 2015, signing a four-year $2.527 million contract. As a rookie in 2015, Jarrett played in 15 games, finishing the season with 24 tackles, four tackles for loss, two

quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...

hits, and one sack. Jarrett recorded his first professional sack on December 12 against the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...

2016

In 2016, Jarrett played all 16 games, starting 14. Jarrett finished the season with 48 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, nine quarterback hits, and three sacks. During

Super Bowl LI Super Bowl LI was an American football game played at NRG Stadium in Houston, Houston, Texas, on February 5, 2017, to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2016 NFL season, 2016 season. The American Football Confe ...

against the

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...

, Jarrett sacked

Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...

three times, which tied a record for most sacks in a single

Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...

game. In addition, Jarrett had five total tackles in the 34–28 overtime loss.

2017

In 2017, Jarrett started all 16 games, recording a career-high 55 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 13 quarterback hits, and four sacks.

2018

In Week 15 of the 2018 season, Jarrett recorded seven tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble in a 40–14 win over the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...

, earning him NFC Defensive Player of the Week. Jarrett finished the 2018 season with then career-highs in both sacks and forced fumbles, with 6 and 3, respectively.

2019

On March 4, 2019, the Falcons placed the franchise tag on Jarrett. Jarrett signed the franchise tag on April 22, 2019. On July 15, 2019, Jarrett signed a four-year contract extension worth $68 million with $42.5 million guaranteed, making him the third highest paid defensive tackle in the league. In Week 1 against the

, Jarrett recorded his first sack of the season on

Kirk Cousins Kirk Daniel Cousins (born August 19, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans football, Mi ...

in the 28–12 loss. In Week 8 against the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...

, Jarrett recorded a team high 8 tackles and sacked

Russell Wilson Russell Carrington Wilson (born November 29, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He has primarily played for the Seattle Seahawks. With the Sea ...

once in the 27–20 loss. In Week 9 against the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

, Jarrett had 2.5 sacks and five quarterback hits in the 26–9 upset win. In Week 16 against the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...

, Jarrett had one sack and three tackles in the 24–12 win. In Week 17 against the Buccaneers, Jarrett recorded one sack in the 28–22 overtime win. Jarrett finished the 2019 season with a career-high 7.5 sacks and 69 tackles, as well as 11 tackles for loss and 2 forced fumbles. On December 17, 2019, Jarrett was invited to his first

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...

. On January 3, 2020, Jarrett was named second-team

All-Pro All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list t ...

. He was ranked 91st by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2020.

2020

In Week 1 against the Seahawks, Jarrett led the Falcons with 1.5 sacks on quarterback

during the 38–25 loss. On December 20, 2020, Jarrett was selected to his second

. He was ranked 51st by his fellow players on the

NFL Top 100 Players of 2021 The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

2021

In 2021, Jarrett started all 17 games for the Falcons, ending the season with one sack and 59 tackles.

2022

On May 3, 2022, Jarrett and the Falcons agreed to a three-year contract extension worth up to $67 million with another $1.5 million in incentives. He was ranked 63rd by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2023.

2023

In the eighth game of the season, Jarrett suffered a

torn ACL An anterior cruciate ligament injury occurs when the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is either stretched, partially torn, or completely torn. The most common injury is a complete tear. Symptoms include pain, an audible cracking sound during in ...

in a loss to the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...

. After being ruled out for the season the following Monday, he finished his 2023 campaign with 23 tackles (two for loss), 1.5 sacks, and eight quarterback hits.

2024

Jarrett started all 17 games for the Falcons during the 2024 season, recording 2.5 sacks and 53 combined tackles. Jarrett was released by the Falcons on March 10, 2025.

Chicago Bears

On March 12, 2025, Jarrett signed a three-year, $43.5 million with the

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Postseason

Personal life

His father, Jessie Tuggle, played in the NFL for the

from 1987 to 2000. His brother, Justin Tuggle, is a former member of the

Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Argonauts compete in the East Division (CFL), East Division of t ...

of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...

. He also has a close relationship with

Ray Lewis Raymond Anthony Lewis Jr. (born May 15, 1975) is an American former professional football player who spent his entire 17-year career as a linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football f ...

who he refers to as "uncle," though they are not related biologically. Jarrett's home in

partially burned down during the second day of the

. There were nearly 50 people, including friends and family members at the home at the time of the fire. No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire was believed to be electrical. The Falcons drafted Jarrett the next day and immediately sent him team gear.

References

External links

*
Atlanta Falcons bioClemson Tigers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jarrett, Grady 1993 births Living people Players of American football from Conyers, Georgia American football defensive tackles Clemson Tigers football players Atlanta Falcons players Chicago Bears players National Conference Pro Bowl players