Tag: Grady Jarrett

Falcons’ Grady Jarrett provides injury update after win over Cowboys

Falcons defensive lineman Grady Jarrett provides update on Achilles injury following win over Cowboys

The Atlanta Falcons lost two key players to injury during Sunday’s 27-21 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Drake London suffered a hip injury in the first half before Grady Jarrett exited the game with an Achilles injury in the second half.

While fans feared the worst for Jarrett, it sounds like he could be okay. After the game, the veteran defensive lineman told reporters that his exit was for “precautionary reasons,” per Tori McElhaney.

It’s a major relief for Jarrett, who missed the second half of the 2023 season after tearing his ACL. It’s also a lucky break for Atlanta since Jarrett has been one of the team’s best defensive players. He recorded one of three Falcons sacks in Week 9.

Atlanta got good production out of linebackers Kaden Elliss and Arnold Ebiketie. Elliss was arguably the top defensive player on Sunday, racking up 13 tackles (eight solo), one sack and three QB hits.

Ebiketie finished with five tackles (seven solo) and two QB hits against the Cowboys. The Falcons had just six sacks entering Sunday’s game, so it’s a positive sign as the team begins the second half of the schedule.

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Falcons injury news: Grady Jarrett ruled out vs. Cowboys

Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett has been ruled out against the Cowboys.

Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett has been ruled out of the remainder of Sunday’s contest against the Dallas Cowboys after he suffered an Achilles strain during the fourth quarter.

This is the second major injury the Falcons have encountered in the game, with wide receiver Drake London ruled out after he suffered a hip injury in the first quarter.

Jarrett had been an important part of the team’s defensive effort to that point, recording one of the two consecutive sacks on Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott. It’s a tough break for the veteran defensive lineman, who tore his ACL last season.

Before he was forced to the sideline, Jarrett totaled two solo tackles and one sack. Jarrett came into this contest with 28 combined tackles (17 solo) and 1.5 sacks.

The Falcons currently lead the Cowboys, 27-13 with just under five minutes left to play in the game.

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Saints’ next three games will be a challenge for the interior offensive line

The Saints will face Grady Jarrett, Chris Jones and Vita Vea over the next three weeks, and they’ll have to do it without Erik McCoy:

The New Orleans Saints will be without Erik McCoy for 6 to 8 weeks. Against the Philadelphia Eagles, the impact of his absence was overly evident.

The triumvirate of Lucas Patrick, Oli Udoh and Cesar Ruiz struggled against the Eagles. The next three games will feature repeated challenges for the group. Grady Jarrett will be on the other side this week for the Atlanta Falcons. New Orleans travels to face the Kansas City Chiefs and Chris Jones in prime time after that. Vita Vea is dealing with an injury but could be available in time for the next game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Former Saints offensive lineman James Hurst explained the trickle-down effect of McCoy’s injury. His role includes leading and directing the rest of the unit, not just blocking the man in front of him. The responsibility comes with a week’s worth of preparation that’s difficult to supplant mid-game.

The Saints will be down their best offensive lineman and leader of the unit just in time for the most challenging stretch of defenders for the interior offensive line. The Saints must look to find McCoy’s replacement quickly.

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Falcons defense stands tall despite Week 1 loss to the Steelers

Despite the disappointing result of Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Falcons defense stood tall in Week 1

The Atlanta Falcons didn’t get the outcome they were after in Sunday’s season-opening matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, falling 18-10 in front of their home crowd at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

While the offense on both sidelines failed to get much of anything going, the Falcons turned in a sound defensive effort that the team can build around going forward. Atlanta did not allow a touchdown from its opponent for the first time since Week 15 of the 2023 season. The Steelers’ 18 points came exclusively from field goals.

Several members of the defense performed well, with defensive lineman Grady Jarrett particularly standing out with 1.5 sacks. This included a solo sack in the third quarter for an eight-yard loss and a half-sack in the fourth quarter combined with outside linebacker Matthew Judon for an eight-yard loss.

Jarrett moves to 35.5 career sacks with the performance, also surpassing former Falcons defensive end John Abraham’s franchise record for quarterback hits. Jarrett recorded three QB hits against the Steelers to bring his career total to 117.

Inside linebacker Kaden Elliss led the Falcons with a total of nine tackles (five solo). Head coach Raheem Morris liked a lot of what he saw from his defensive unit but still sees plenty of room for improvement after the disappointing results of the first game.

“You can’t just necessarily go off of what happened with the results,” Morris said. “They had some success running the football on it us, but I was really proud of those guys and what they were able to do with their resiliency in the red zone and after those turnovers. You’ve got to give those guys that type of credit… I was very proud of how they stood up and showed mental toughness and real grit down the stretch.”

It will be interesting to see what adjustments the Falcons make this week and how those pay off as the team prepares to battle the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night football.

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WATCH: Falcons DL Grady Jarrett sacks Steelers QB Justin Fields

WATCH: Falcons DL Grady Jarrett sacks Steelers QB Justin Fields in the third quarter of Sunday’s opener

The Falcons defense has done a solid job of keeping the Steelers offense in check thus far in Sunday’s matchup. In the third quarter, Falcons defensive lineman Grady Jarrett recorded the team’s first sack of the season, bringing down quarterback Justin Fields.

It’s Jarrett’s first game back after suffering an MCL injury that prematurely ended his 2023 campaign. Atlanta trails Pittsburgh 15-10 as the third quarter winds down inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Watch Jarrett’s sack below, as shared by the Falcons’ Twitter account:

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PFF ranks Falcons’ defensive line among the worst in NFL

Pro Football Focus ranked the Falcons’ defensive line among the worst units in the NFL entering the 2024 season

The Atlanta Falcons prioritized the quarterback position above all others this offseason and then used most of their remaining resources to retool their defensive line. The team selected three defensive linemen and one edge rusher in the 2024 NFL draft.

However, the losses of Calais Campbell and outside linebacker Bud Dupree shouldn’t be overlooked. The two combined for 13 of Atlanta’s 42 sacks last season, tying for the team lead with 6.5 sacks apiece. So who on the roster will replace Campbell and Dupree in 2024?

Second-round pick Ruke Orhorhoro and third-rounder Bralen Trice may eventually fill these roles but that’s a lot of responsibility to throw at two rookies. Luckily, the Falcons have one of the best defensive tackle duos in the NFL, which should make things easier on the rest of the defensive line.

This group has potential but the uncertainty beyond Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata landed Atlanta near the bottom of Pro Football Focus’ defensive line rankings (28th):

David Onyemata is a very good player on the inside, and Grady Jarrett was once one of the best in the league, even if he hasn’t hit that level for some time. Outside of that duo, the Falcons don’t offer much up front. Young players Zach Harrison, Ruke Orhorhoro and Bralen Trice may surprise, but this is a unit that looks like it will struggle again in 2024. — Sam Monson, PFF

The Falcons are giving Arnold Ebiketie a chance to shine this season, plus they still have a versatile outside linebacker on the roster in Lorenzo Carter. Another player that Monson mentioned was second-year defensive lineman Zach Harrison.

The lengthy edge rusher had three sacks last season and may be in for an expanded role under defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait and see how things unfold when training camp starts on July 24 in Flowery Branch.

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Two Falcons make PFF’s list of top 32 interior defenders

Pro Football Focus featured two #Falcons players on its list of the NFL’s top 32 interior defenders

Things change quickly in the NFL, especially for teams that underachieve. The Atlanta Falcons finished under .500 for a sixth consecutive season in 2023, and major changes followed shortly after.

The team hired head coach Raheem Morris, signed quarterback Kirk Cousins and traded away Desmond Ridder. While the Falcons didn’t make many changes on defense, they added multiple interior defensive linemen.

Not only did Atlanta draft Ruke Orhorhoro, Brandon Dorlus and Zion Logue, but veteran Eddie Goldman came out of retirement to sign with the team. However, let’s not forget about Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata.

Jarrett’s been a force in Atlanta for the past decade but rarely gets the respect he deserves. Onyemata signed with the team in 2023 and played extremely well last season.

Both Jarrett and Onyemata were ranked among the NFL’s top 32 interior defensive linemen in a new feature by Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus. Onyemata came in at No. 18 on PFF’s list:

Onyemata is now on a sequence of seven straight seasons with at least 30 pressures, and he has added 54 defensive stops over the past two seasons while playing for two NFC South teams. Onyemata is a disruptive presence on the defensive interior and has developed into an excellent player. — Sam Monson, PFF

Onyemata followed former Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen from New Orleans to Atlanta last season. Nielsen took the Jaguars defensive coordinator job over the offseason, but Onyemata returns and should play an important role again in 2024.

As for Jarrett, he was a little further down PFF’s list, coming in at No. 28:

At his best, Grady Jarrett was a top-five player on this list, but as he plays into his 30s, we haven’t seen his very best for a few years now. 2023 was an injury-curtailed season, but even the year before he earned only above-average PFF grades and production as opposed to the elite marks he had been hitting just a couple of years prior.Jarrett has enough credit in the bank to make the list still, but this is a big season for him to bounce back and prove that he isn’t firmly in decline late in his career. — Sam Monson, PFF

The Falcons have not re-signed veteran defensive lineman Calais Campbell and a return doesn’t seem likely considering the team’s offseason additions. However, any team would benefit from a versatile defender like Campbell, so don’t rule it out just yet.

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Watch: Swinney tears up as former players, coaches congratulate him on 166 wins

Dabo Swinney was surprised with an emotional video of former players and coaches congratulating him on becoming Clemson’s all-time winningest head coach.

After defeating Notre Dame last Saturday, Dabo Swinney passed Frank Howard as the all-time winningest head coach in Clemson football history, and although it took a few more games than he would’ve liked, Swinney received a surprise video from numerous Clemson legends.

Former players such as Trevor Lawrence, Grady Jarrett, James Skalski, Hunter Renfrow and K.J. Henry all congratulated Swinney in video clips, expressing their gratitude and appreciation for their former head coach. Some of Swinney’s former staff members also chimed in, including former offensive coordinator Tony Elliott and former defensive coordinator Brent Venables.

With last week’s win over the Irish, Swinney recorded his 166th win as the Tigers’ head coach since he took over the program in 2008.

Along with former players, some current Tigers, including running back Will Shipley and safety R.J. Mickens, congratulated and thanked Swinney.

With play-by-play announcer Don Munson by his side, here’s Swinney tearing up as he watches the video:

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Falcons DL Grady Jarrett undergoes successful surgery

Falcons defensive lineman Grady Jarrett appears to be doing well after undergoing knee surgery

The Atlanta Falcons have undergone sweeping changes over the last few seasons, but the one constant has been defensive lineman Grady Jarrett.

After waiting years for the team to finally add some talent on defense, Jarrett’s season was unfortunately cut short due to a torn ACL in Week 8.

The former fifth-round pick underwent successful knee surgery on Tuesday, thanking his fans and supporters in a social media post following the procedure:

“Thank you to all my family, friends, fans, supporters and my brothers! For the support and well wishes, as I conquer this next challenge. I feel the love and prayers. In due time, Best is yet to come,” Jarrett wrote in the post.

The Falcons have struggled without Jarrett in the middle of their defense. Atlanta wasn’t able to stop Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs in Week 9, just one week after being torched by Titans rookie Will Levis.

Atlanta takes on the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10 and quarterback Kyler Murray is expected to make his season debut.

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Falcons place DL Grady Jarrett on injured reserve list

Now that the trade deadline has passed, the Falcons have placed DL Grady Jarrett on the injured reserve list

The Atlanta Falcons officially placed defensive lineman Grady Jarrett on the injured reserve list just minutes after the 2023 NFL trade deadline passed on Tuesday.

Jarrett suffered a torn ACL during Sunday’s loss to the Tennessee Titans. The team confirmed he was out for the year on Monday but waited until Tuesday to put Jarrett on the injured reserve.

Shortly after Jarrett’s injury was announced, Atlanta traded for defensive lineman Kentavius Street. The 27-year-old played for Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen in New Orleans last season.

Street should add depth to Atlanta’s defensive line. Check out the team’s updated 53-man roster entering Week 9.

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