Camila Sosa
The Atlanta Falcons want to ensure that one of their defensive stars, Grady Jarrett, stays with them for a long time. For that reason, this Tuesday, they made a pivotal move for the future of the organization and the player by tying for many more seasons to one of their main figures.
As reported by the Atlanta team itself, both parties reached an agreement to extend the defensive wing’s contract for three more seasons. And while the Falcons did not disclose the amount of the pact, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport later noted that it was $51 million, $34 million of it fully guaranteed.
It’s worth remembering that the 2022 season is the last of a four-year, $68 million contract Grady Jarrett signed with the Falcons in 2019, so he will remain with the team until at least 2025.
Also, the fifth-round pick in the 2015 Draft becomes, according to Spotrac.com, the seventh-highest paid defensive tackle in the league with an annual salary of $17 million. The leader of this list is Rams player Aaron Donald, who averages $22.5 million per year.
The two-time Pro-Bowler has become one of the NFL’s most accomplished interior linemen in recent years, despite underperforming in 2021. While he played in all 17 games for the Falcons, he totaled just one quarterback catch, his lowest quota since 2015, and racked up 59 tackles with 12 hits on the opposing quarterback.
Jarrett has missed just three games since his debut with the Falcons in the NFL. And, in a total of 110 games, 95 of them as a starter, he has 359 tackles, 26.5 catches and 89 hits on the opposing QB, top figures for the Atlanta organization since he joined the team seven seasons ago. In addition, in 2019 and 2020 he received Pro-Bowl call-ups, a great accomplishment for a player who was selected at pick 137 overall.
