Grady Jarrett confident best days are still ahead of him

Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett will turn 32 in April and that's usually not a point when NFL players are ascending, but the Bears made it clear they think there's plenty in Jarrett's tank this week.

The Bears signed Jarrett to a three-year deal shortly after the Falcons released him and the pact guarantees Jarrett $28.5 million. That's a big bet that he'll remain the impactful player he's been for the last decade and Jarrett promised that his best days are still ahead of him during a press conference in Chicago on Wednesday.

Jarrett made that comment early in the session and was asked later to explain why he feels that way.

"Because if I didn’t have that confidence, I wouldn’t be sitting here," Jarrett said. "If I got comfortable after my first contract extension, I wouldn’t be sitting here. If I got comfortable after my second contract extension, I wouldn’t be sitting here. At the end of the day, this new contract I got with a new team is just motivating me."

A higher level of play might turn out to be a bridge too far for Jarrett, but the status quo would likely make the Bears happy about their decision to bring Jarrett to town.