Grady Jarrett Plans: Atlanta Falcons Owner Arthur Blank Speaks Out

Want Jarrett in Atlanta? “Absolutely, we love Grady,'' says Arthur Blank.

Mike Fisher | Mar 31, 2022

PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Atlanta Falcons are in transition. Which puts Grady Jarrett in the spotlight.

After the two off-seasons of departures of wideout Julio Jones and quarterback Matt Ryan, Falcons defensive end Jarrett is now the second-longest tenured Falcon, and arguably the best player remaining on the team.

Will he meet the same fate as Jones and Ryan? A financial victim of the Falcons' rebuild?

Owner Arthur Smith has a thought.

Grady Jarrett

“Absolutely, we love Grady,'' said Blank via 92.9 The Game. "He’s a great leader, great player. Grady makes the whole thing better. ... So, we’re working hard to try and make that happen.”

Make what happen? Not a trade. A financial fix.

His current contract expires after 2022, and there had up to now been little talk about him returning in the form of an extension. That could've be a sign that Jarrett is set to follow Jones and Ryan out the door.

Little wonder coach Arthur Smith, while also expressing "love'' for the player, is non-commital on the issue.

Said Smith here at the NFL annual meetings in Palm Beach": "He knows where we stand. We love Grady. We also know that players may have their own opinions, and that's welcome. It's part of doing business. We'll see how it plays out.

"I love Grady and we'd love to keep coaching him."

But there are options for the Falcons. And for Jarrett.

He could be traded to alleviate his salary, as he'll count for $23.8 million against the cap. But at 30 years old, it's not clear what Atlanta would get in return. Especially with his production falling off a bit over the last couple of seasons.

In 2019, Jarrett had 7.5 sacks and 69 tackles in his first Pro Bowl season. The next season, he recorded just four sacks, while tackles also went down to 52. However, he was still strong enough to make the Pro Bowl roster.

However, last season, Jarrett missed the Pro Bowl, and he had just one sack in 17 games to go along with 59 tackles. That's his lowest sack total since his rookie campaign in 2015.

Atlanta could also let Jarrett play out his contract in 2022 and chase a big deal in free agency. It'll be a season that won't bring many expectations for the Falcons, and his numbers could suffer, while most players in the last year of their contracts want to perform well.

Grady Jarrett

Matt Ryan and Grady Jarrett

Grady Jarrett

The Falcons could also decide to offer an extension to Jarrett that would keep him in town as one of the faces of the franchise. He can still perform at a high level, and with a number of young players joining the team, Atlanta could use a seasoned veteran to help the organization grow back into a contender.

But at what cost? Obviously, he won't get Aaron Donald-type money, but the Falcons could still be looking at $20 million per season. That's a huge hit for a young team, but every team can use an elite player, even in rebuild mode.

Everything really depends on what Jarrett wants at this point. Is he willing to play through a rebuild and endure several more losing seasons? Or does he want to possibly play for a contender, even if it means a little less money?

Said Blank: “We’re ... being thoughtful about it because you don’t want to put yourself back into the same situation that we just got out of (with Ryan’s massive cap hits). But we love Grady.''

The Falcons and Jarrett have some decisions to make, and they've got until next year to do it. Love aside.

Published Mar 31, 2022

MIKE FISHER

Mike Fisher - as a newspaper beat writer and columnist and on radio and TV, where he is an Emmy winner - has covered the NFL since 1983, is the author of two best-selling books on the NFL.