Grady Jarrett is the heart and soul of the Atlanta Falcons, but he hasn’t done much winning since arriving.
After being drafted in the fifth round of the 2015 offseason, the Clemson product has only been a part of two winning seasons. The Falcons went 8-8 when he was a rookie then went to the Super Bowl the following season. In 2017, the Falcons lost in the divisional round, and it was the last time Jarrett played in the postseason.
The Falcons have gone 68-79 since Grady Jarrett arrived in Atlanta, and he thinks this is the best Falcons team he’s been on since being drafted.
#Falcons All-Pro DE @GradyJarrett says this is one of the most STACKED teams he's been a part of in his 9 seasons with Atlanta 🔥
"We setting the league on FIRE right now… but it doesn't matter if we don't translate it to some wins."@heykayadams @AtlantaFalcons #RiseUp pic.twitter.com/glTxtozOdz
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) August 19, 2024
It’s hard to argue with him. Of course, the 2016 team made it all of the way to the Super Bowl on the back of a historic offense and an MVP campaign from Matt Ryan, but the teams aren’t dissimilar.
This year’s team also features an elite offensive line with loads of weapons and a veteran signal caller; however, this year’s defense, on paper, is better than the 2016 defense.
On the flip side of things, there are questions about Zac Robinson and Jimmy Lake, two first-time coordinators, as well as Raheem Morris being in his first year as head coach. Whereas the 2016 team had Kyle Shanahan in his second year as offensive coordinator and Dan Quinn in his second year as head coach.
The Falcons have all of the talent in the world, but football is played between the lines, not on paper. I hope, for Grady Jarrett’s sake, the Falcons live up to expectations this year because he deserves several more cracks at playoff football.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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