Much to the relief of the Falcons’ faithful, Thomas Dimitroff beat the buzzer and signed his star defensive tackle to a four-year extension with a little over an hour before the 4 P.M deadline. Jarrett was the Falcons top priority this offseason, and anything other than this result would have been viewed as a disappointment by the entire organization. Now, the details of the contract have been released, and as expected, the Falcons will receive cap relief this season.
By the numbers
$11.75 million:Â Grady Jarrett’s cap hit this year, which is much lower than the number he would have been paid ($15.2 million) had he played under the franchise tag. That now leaves the Falcons with around $10 million in cap space for 2019.
$17 million:Â The AAV for the four-year contract, meaning he will make more per season than any other interior defensive lineman not named Aaron Donald or Fletcher Cox.
$18 million: His signing bonus that is fully guaranteed and will be spread out equally over the four years of his deal
$21.75 million: Jarrett’s cap hit for 2022 – the final year of his contract. He can be cut by the Falcons before that season for $5.25 million.
$42.5 million:Â The total amount of money guaranteed to Jarrett.
Four years, $68 million:Â The entire value of the contract. It’s worth mentioning the four years because now Jarrett will become a free agent again before he is even 30 and should be in his prime.
There are a lot of lopsided deals in sports – sometimes for the player and many times for the team. However, on the surface, this one looks like a fantastic deal for both sides.
The Falcons had to get this done. It was their top priority this offseason, and Jarrett is the only player on their defensive line that has proven he’s a bonafide star. Take him off of Atlanta’s defense, and that 25th ranked rushing defense turns into 32nd real quick, and don’t even get me started about the pass rush. This gives the Falcons immediate cap relief and does not handcuff them too much when discussing deals with other stars like Deion Jones and Keanu Neal. People can talk about how Jarrett has never had more than six sacks in a season or how he has not made a Pro-Bowl, but that is a bunch of nonsense. He’s a top-five defensive tackle in football and is just beginning to sniff his potential.
From Jarrett’s perspective, he avoids risking injury and secures $42.5 million guaranteed. For a guy who was drafted in the fifth round, that is a monstrous payday. Jarrett did not get the six or seven-year deal he might have wanted, but instead, he settled for four and will hit free agency again before he is 30. If things go well for both sides, Jarrett will be in line for another hefty payday four years from now.