Marc Raimondi
In a somewhat surprising move, the Atlanta Falcons are moving on from defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, one of their franchise players over the last decade.
The Falcons released the two-time Pro Bowler on Monday in a cost-saving move, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Jarrett’s cap number for 2025 was $20,375,000 and the Falcons save $12,125,000 by releasing him, according to Roster Management System. There was thought to be a possibility of restructuring and extending Jarrett, but Atlanta ended up cutting him outright.
The Falcons came into the offseason over the cap and an extension agreed to with left tackle Jake Matthews and the shedding of Jarrett’s salary will get them under, with the ability to be more aggressive over the next few days and beyond. Atlanta has plenty of holes to fill on defense this offseason.
Jarrett, 31, has been with the Falcons since 2015 and has been the heart and soul of the team’s defense over much of the last 10 years. An Atlanta native, he’s also been extremely active in the community and long one of the team’s biggest fan favorites.
Jarrett has 36.5 sacks over his career. He returned in 2024 after a torn ACL suffered in Week 8 of 2023 and was still a solid player on the interior of the Falcons line with 2.5 sacks and 53 total tackles.
