It’s been a long offseason, but real football is back. In less than two weeks time the Bears will be taking the field against the Cleveland Browns to open the preseason. Already a handful of days into training camp and some players are already trying to reset narratives that have occurred throughout the summer break.
A few that I have seen pop up consistently since season’s end:
- Luther Burden will be the Bears #1 WR in 2026 and beyond
- Subtext, Rome Odunze will not be
- Dayo Odeyingbo and Grady Jarrett were flops
- Subtext, these two players will be minimal contributors in 2026 and will get cut next offseason
- Kyler Gordon’s soft tissue injuries are a major problem
- Subtext, the Bears are assessing replacements for him after the 2026 season at NB
- The Bears have problems at LT and C
- Subtext, Braxton Jones, Jedrick Wills, Garrett Bradbury, and Logan Jones will be worse than their 2025 starting counterparts
- The Bears will regress in 2026
- Subtext, their defense, turnover differential, and 4th quarter comebacks are unsustainable and will lead to a regression to the mean
There might be others, but these were some that I consistently gleaned from the media, other blogs, and even here at WCG.
So which of these are the most tired? Which do we need to set straight and pull out of the offseason echo chamber? This is the basis of this week’s question:
Which offseason Bears narrative is most tired?
For me, it’s the conversation around Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo.
I get it — these two failed to live up to their lofty contracts in 2025. A reminder of each contract below:
- Grady Jarrett signed a 3 year, $42.75 million deal including cap hits of $18.9 and $16.8 million in 2026 and 2027 (but only $4 million in dead money in 2027)
- His annual average salary of $14.5 million ranks 24th in the NFL amongst IDL.
- Dayo Odeyingbo signed a 3 year, $48 million deal including cap hits of $20.5 and $19.5 million in 2026 and 2027 (but only $4.5 million in dead money in 2027)
- His average annual salary of $16 million ranks 29th in the NFL among Edge rushers.
Neither of these are small cap hits, and one might argue that they kept the Bears from pursuing other defensive upgrades this offseason. I get it.
But I think we are confusing sunken cost with a player that is no longer on the team. In case the offseason narrative has convinced you otherwise, Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo are still members of the 2026 Chicago Bears — and I think they are both severely underrated for what they can do for the 2026 defense.
Let’s start with the veteran, Grady Jarrett.
Jarrett came in with a pedigree and something to prove after his long tenure with the Atlanta Falcons came to a close following a cut in March of 2025. Ryan Poles viewed him as the interior rusher and veteran presence that the Bears DL desperately needed.
Unfortunately, in 14 games last season, Jarrett only tallied 1.5 sacks, 39 tackles, 1 TFL, 8 QB hits, and 3 PDs. Those numbers aren’t enough to justify his cost.
But that’s not to say that Jarrett doesn’t have anything left in the tank. Jarrett himself has owned up to his 2025 season by saying:
No, so we hear it, man. But it also comes with the job, you know, it comes with the job. And at the end of the day, we gotta really take it personal and get back to work. Even if sometimes your best ain’t good enough. So you gotta find out ‘Where can I be better at?
Jarrett isn’t a stranger to down years, either. He also isn’t a stranger to bounce backs. In 2021, his age 28 season, Jarrett had a down year following two Pro Bowl seasons, where he only notched 1 sack, and 3 TFLs in 17 games. The next season, Jarrett responded with 6 sacks and 12 TFLs — a massive improvement that shows his ability to right the course.
Additionally, he has noted being in better shape this offseason, after working through a knee injury that sidelined him for portions of 2025. So it should not be outlandish to expect a better Grady Jarrett in 2026, something that I have seen consistently discounted this offseason.
As for Dayo Odeyingbo. It’s safe to say that Dayo has become the newest punching bag for Bears fans. Reports of a “Motivated Dayo” has become a sarcastic refrain for fans that expect him to be a non contributor in 2026.
While I understand why people are questioning his impact, I think it is far too premature to write him off at this stage in his career.
Dayo was but 26 years old with 3.5 seasons under his belt when he joined the Bears last offseason. Odeyingbo has draft pedigree and prototypical size for the position as a 2nd round pick that measures at 6’-5” and 282 lbs. While he still hasn’t put together a spectacular season in his career, he mustered 11 sacks, 16 TFLs, and 34 QB hits in his age 24 and 25 seasons combined — numbers that suggest a jump still may be warranted.
Still, in his 8 starts in 2026, Odeyinbo struggled to string together strong performances and eventually ended with 1 sack and 2 TFLs — disappointing numbers that have led many to write him off.
I think that’s a mistake. Odeyingbo had seen steady improvement under the tutelage of Gus Bradley, and found himself under a new defensive scheme for the first time in his career in 2025. When revisiting tape, I saw a player that frequently looked indecisive — which often led to him playing slower.
I see an extra year under Allen, an offseason of good health, and more “motivation” as being key to a turnaround for Dayo. Will he ever be a 10 sack player? Unlikely. But to write him off would be a mistake. I think there is a very good chance of him tallying 6+ sacks and being a powerful counterpunch to Austin Booker’s speed/length.
In total — I suppose my primary gripe is that we simply cannot write off two players after one season on a team and defense that feature a lot of new. I’ll eat my words if we continue to see the same issues 4-5 games into 2026. But until then, let’s give these two a chance to change the narrative.
Now it’s your turn! Which offseason Bears narrative is most tired? Sound off in the comments!
