The Atlanta Falcons made headlines on the first day of the free agency contact period when it was revealed they had cut defensive tackle Grady Jarrett in a salary cap move.
Jarrett wasn't out of work long, signing a three-year deal that would guarantee him $28.5 million and be worth up to $43.5 million with the Chicago Bears just a few hours later.
The timing of the deal indicated that Jarrett's agent had an offer, at least in principle, with the Bears while Jarrett was negotiating with the Falcons on ways to lower his then $20-million salary cap hit. When the two sides couldn't come to an agreement, Jarrett's deal with the Bears was announced in a matter of hours.
Speaking from the NFL Owners' meetings in West Palm, Fla., head coach Raheem Morris confirmed the Falcons were working with Jarrett on trying to get a deal done
"Especially when you're talking about a guy that means so much to your team, your building, your state, everything about you," Morris said on Jarrett's importance to the Falcons."Everything about you. You were here when you drafted him," Morris said referring to his first stint in Atlanta. "That was one of the tougher decisions that went on through the offseason. When you talk about how you make all of these things meet. We talked about how you fit it within the cap. What your structures are and how you want to have a person fit in, we just couldn't come to an agreement.
"That's what went into those things. All those decisions, all those things happen.
"And that was very tough."
Morris didn't want to speculate on Jarrett's mindset through the process on if he wanted to stay with Atlanta who drafted him in 2015 after having played his high school ball at nearby Rockdale County High School.
"I don't want to speak for Grady, but it would be far fetched for me to sit here and say that Grady wanted to leave," said Morris. "It's one of those things that we couldn't reach an agreement - a business deal. No hard feeling from myself or Grady.
"Definitely going to be missed. Definitely one of the guys I've got so much respect for. He's a wonderful player to be around, wonderful guy to be around. I can't say nothing but positive things about Grady, I really can't."
"It didn't work out, and it's unfortunate for us, 'cause we lost a great human."
Jarrett played 10 seasons with the Falcons and saw immediate success at the tail end of the best period of football in Atlanta Falcons history. In more recent seasons, he found himself targeted by opposing defenses as one of the only threats on the Falcons front seven and had his 2023 season cut short by a knee injury.
It's only a matter of time before his name ends up in the Falcons Ring of Honor despite a sudden end to his Atlanta career.
