Former Clemson Tigers Defensive Star Could Be Falcons Salary Cap Casualty

A former Clemson Tigers defensive superstar could be released by the Atlanta Falcons this NFL offseason due to the salary cap.

Sep 8, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons defensive end Grady Jarrett (97) celebrates after a sack against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Under head coach Dabo Swinney, the Clemson Tigers have had a ton of players move on from their program and become excellent contributors in the NFL.

Where they have made their biggest impact is on the defensive side of the ball. The Tigers have done a remarkable job of developing talent, turning good prospects into college stars and eventually NFL players.

One of those standouts who have made an impact at the next level is defensive tackle Grady Jarrett.

He had four solid seasons at Clemson, totaling 144 tackles, 29 of which were for a loss, with 5.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. 

That was enough for him to get selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the fifth round, No. 137 overall, in the 2013 NFL Draft. He has been incredibly consistent for them, as he just wrapped up his 10th year with the franchise.

Jarrett has filled several roles for the team, playing all along the trenches and always producing no matter what has been asked of him. He has two Pro Bowl appearances in 2019 and 2020 and also earned a spot on the All-Pro Second Team in 2020.

However, there is a chance that his time with the Falcons will be coming to an end this offseason and he could be looking for a new franchise to play with for the first time as a professional.

As shared by Pro Football Network, the former Clemson star is one of the top cut candidates for Atlanta in the coming weeks.

Jarrett has a cap hit of $20.4 million, a lot of money for anyone, let alone someone who plays a rotational role along the defensive line.

If the Falcons were to release him, they would save $16.3 million. The team could use as much cap space as possible especially if they do end up moving on from quarterback Kirk Cousins, who has astronomical cap hits of his own.

Currently, Atlanta is projected to be about $10 million over the salary cap. Jarrett and fellow defensive lineman David Onyemata are likely both on the chopping block because of the numbers they are carrying.

The one thing that could help keep the former Tigers standout alive is that he was a more consistent part of the lineup and produced at a better clip.

In his career, Jarrett has 496 combined tackles, 77 tackles for loss with 36.5 sacks, 126 quarterback hits and 151 combined pressures since 2017.

If he is released, he should have no problem finding a job as he has remained reliable from a durability perspective and productive.