The Chicago Bears were not expected to win the NFC North last season. Ben Johnson was in his first season as the head coach, and Chicago’s 2024 season was not very promising. The Bears brought in a lot of new pieces going into 2025 to turn things around, including defensive tackle Grady Jarrett.
Jarrett is heading into his 12th season, having spent the first decade of his NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons and last season with the Bears. In his first year in Chicago, the two-time Pro-Bowler played in 14 regular season games and had eight quarterback hits.
His numbers have never been the best, but Jarrett brings an energy to the team that cannot be quantified. His mindset is contagious and he is going into this season as the hunter, hunting down every opponent.
“We’re always the hunters and that’s the mindset. Because it doesn’t really matter about what anybody else is doing,” Jarrett said. “It’s about how we’re going about our process and what we do. We’re always the hunters. That’s the mindset we’ve taken.”
While the Bears may have the mindset of being hunters, they are also the hunted. After winning the division last season, every team in the NFC North will be looking to take them down. The Minnesota Vikings may not be the most competitive given their quarterback situation, but the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers have rosters capable of winning the division.
Jarrett and the rest of the defense will be key to Chicago winning another division title. Turnovers helped carry the Bears defense last season, but they will need to be more consistent against the run and the pass to win back-to-back NFC North titles for the first time since the 2005 and 2006 seasons.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Grady Jarrett shares Bears’ mindset going into 2026
Reporting by Ariana Pensy, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ariana Pensy, Bears Wire | USA TODAY Network
