Falcons DL Grady Jarrett 'Feeling Good' as Raheem Morris Gives Injury Update

Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett updated his injury status as minicamp ended Tuesday.

Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett has worked off to the side during OTAs. / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- While the Atlanta Falcons participated in their final day of on-field practice for this phase of the summer, star defensive tackle Grady Jarrett ran sprints and did individual work in his own endzone.

Jarrett is now seven months removed from the torn ACL that cost him the final nine games of last season. It was the first time in his nine-year pro career he missed more than two contests.

And while the 31-year-old Jarrett still hasn't returned to his normal practice routine and is limited in what he can do, he's been present at Flowery Branch for the entirety of OTAs and remained steady in his rehabilitation process.

"Grady is still in the same status he's been," Morris said Tuesday before practice. "Obviously he's been working out to the side, doing some different things with our guys, getting some really good work with our PT, our training system, our off the field guys.

"Obviously, I haven't thrown him into anything of any speed whatsoever when it comes to team work or drill work."

Jarrett said after practice he's planning on being a full-go for the start of training camp, which will start in late July. There's always a ramp-up period in camp, he noted, and his may look marginally different, but he's aiming to complete the most possible reps in camp and avoid special treatment.

"Feeling good, man," Jarrett said. "Feel like I'm in a really good spot. Feeling confident out on the field and just put myself in a position to be ready to compete in training camp, make sure I'm in good shape going into Game 1.

"Worked my tail off to get to where I'm at and just really excited to be back in the building."

Jarrett finished last season with 23 tackles, two tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and eight quarterback hits while appearing in eight contests. Since drawing the start in the last game of his rookie season in 2015, Jarrett has rolled with the first team in 119 consecutive outings.

A two-time Pro Bowler who earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2019, Jarrett was the model of durability before his injury. He said he gained a greater appreciation for parenting, joking it's harder than training camp practices, and the effort other people put into their respective jobs each day.

The time away helped Jarrett learned more about the game on the field and himself off the field, and he's eager to show it this fall. But for now, he's focused on improving his knee one day, practice and step at a time.

"I'm excited to get back out there," Jarrett said. "I'm itching to get back out there, but being as smart as I can, having patience with myself and making the days count."