Atlanta Falcons’ star defender Grady Jarrett is far from happy following Sunday’s 17-9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, which ultimately eliminated Atlanta from the playoffs.
Jarrett has been in the Falcons’ boat of disappointment since they drafted back in 2015.
“Disappointed,” Jarrett said. “You try so hard, but same s***, different year.”
The Falcons haven’t seen a playoff birth since their Super Bowl run back in 2016, which didn’t end too well for them and it’s safe to say that Jarrett is fed up.
“You’ve got to keep fighting, but everybody’s fighting,” he added. “We’ve got to win some games, we’ve got to finish strong as we can, but to not even have a chance to be in the postseason, mess that up, it’s frustrating.”
Falcons Fought Hard to Keep Jarrett This Season
Sure, Jarrett has every right to be upset with the team at the moment but it’s hard to imagine him wanting out after agreeing to an extension over the offseason.
Atlanta and the two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle reached a three-year deal worth up to $51 million, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport first reported back in May.
That contract would make it pretty tough for Jarrett to wiggle his way out anytime soon. Not to mention the fact that he knew what he was getting himself into before he put the pen to paper.
Hopefully, the Falcons can find a Jarrett 2.0 and more to make next year better for Jarret and the other valuable players.
Jarrett Was a Fifth Round Draft Pick
Former Falcons’ general manager Thomas Dimitroff and head coach Dan Quinn struck gold when they selected Jarrett in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
As a rookie, Jarrett saw action in 15 games and finished the season with 24 tackles, four tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, and one sack.
The following year, Jarrett played all 16 games, starting 14. He ended the 2016 season with 48 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, nine quarterback hits, and three sacks. He also played a big part in the Falcons’ Super Bowl LI trip and Jarrett sacked Tom Brady three times to tie th record for most sacks in a single Super Bowl game.
He started all 16 games again in 2017, logging a career-high 55 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 13 quarterback hits, and four sacks. Jarrett managed to top those numbers in 2018 and finished the season with career-highs in both sacks and forced fumbles, with 6 and 3.
Ahead of the 2019 season, Atlanta placed the franchise tag on Jarrett and he signed a four-year, $68 million contract extension, which lingers today. Jarrett logged his best year yet with a career-high 7.5 sacks and 69 tackles, along with 11 tackles for loss and 2 forced fumbles. He was also invited to his first Prop Bowl and named second-team All-Pro. He then earned his second Pro Bowl in 2020 after finishing the season recording four more sacks and 52 tackles.
Following the coaching staff overhaul in 2021, Jarrett managed just one sack in 2021 with 59 combined tackles, 12 quarterback hits and a fumble recovery.
This year has personally been a better one for Jarrett, who has logged a team-leading six sacks with two more games left to go.
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Falcons Star Defender Expresses Frustration With Team