Bear Digest

Bears' Grady Jarrett says Packers QB will just have to deal with it

WATCH: The trash talking on a video with Grady Jarrett mic'd up and talking to Jordan Love is likely to be a common thing now with a new, vociferous leader on the Bears D-line.
Gene Chamberlain|
Grady Jarrett addresses the topic of his trash-talking tape with Packers QB Jordan Love. More similar ones may be coming.
Grady Jarrett addresses the topic of his trash-talking tape with Packers QB Jordan Love. More similar ones may be coming. | Photo: Chicago Bears Video

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Chicago Bears

With the signing of free agent defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears knew they were getting a real team leader.

A team short this type of locker room presence fired a coach mid-season for the first time last year so they can use the extra guidance from a veteran.

However, what hasn't necessarily been stressed is how the 288-pound three-technique tackle already has a leg up in the most important rivalry the Bears have. This, of course, is with the Green Bay Packers.

Jarrett's clip with a mic on from a game for Atlanta with the Packers when he trash-talked Packers QB Jordan Love has been a favorite on the internet, and probably will get new viral life from Chicago fans now that he's wearing the navy and orange.

"When you’re playing ball, doing this, being professional and being able to talk and communicate
with people, but when you're playing ball, you cross those lines, you have to be able to go in that
dark place," Jarrett said about his language in the clip. "Sometimes what happens in that dark place, it gets a little crazy just being a competitor.

"I talked about mic’d up with some of the media team here, and I was like, 'Yeah, I know I have some crazy ones.' That was what was released. So the stuff that's not released has to be super crazy. You’ve got to have that dog in you."

It was nothing personal against Love. There's plenty of time now for that when he faces the Packers twice a year. And the whole thing wasn't even half as bad as the kind of things John Randle used to say to the Bears, Packers and Lions when he was starring for the Vikings.

"Jordan Love is a good quarterback," Jarrett said. "My thing is you already can't hit the quarterback so many different ways–first of all–I chased him down the field over 50 yards, I went and caught him. I’ve got that speed on me too. Now it was 2 years ago, so I'm only getting faster. Then to walk away from me talking mess, I mean, what are we doing? But I'm excited to get to go against him two times a year now. Just try to help this organization get some wins over that other team."

That kind of attitude will win him a following outside the locker room as well as in it.

The Bears may not be really short in leadership now with Ben Johnson as coach. They were last year.

Player complained about a lack of accountability from coaches and from each other. Jarrett has leadership oozing from his pores.

He already has an idea about how accountability is accomplished by players.

"Holding my own self accountable and doing what I say I'm going to do," Jarrett said. "Not asking anybody to do anything that I'm not willing to do and just really be about what you're going to preach, and that is something that has developed even when you put yourself and build your body up to be able to give you the all every single day, you know.

"It's a process, but you have to go through it. It's going to be hard, it's going to be tough, but you got to encourage people that there is another side of the hard part and once you get that and achieve that and feel it, you will be able to get to that space every time."

The Bears need this on the defensive line. The secondary has a real leader and star in Jaylon Johnson and leader in Kevin Byard. Linebackers T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds are leader types.

The defensive line had players who have been effective but not necessarily real talkers, especially after DeMarcus Walker was cut. When they lost Justin Jones in 2024 free agency, they also lost a locker room voice.

Montez Sweat has been more of a sack chaser and run stopper than a leader. Andrew Billings is well respected and a force, but not really a big-talking presence.

Jarrett will be heard whether people like it or not.

Just ask Jordan Love.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.