Ten weeks ago, veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett stepped inside Halas Hall for the first time and delivered a memorable introductory press conference where his excitement to be in Chicago was palpable.

Now into phase three of the Bears' offseason program — his first with a team other than the Atlanta Falcons where he played 10 seasons — Jarrett's energy hasn't diminished at all. If anything, the change of scenery has invigorated him.

"Being in a new place for the first time around new people is really refreshing," Jarrett said Wednesday. "It puts you in a position to where you want to put your best foot forward every day. Not that I'm saying I didn't want to regardless of where I was prior, but it's just, I mean, it's natural human instinct. I've been enjoying it, man. My life up here in Chicago has been awesome so far."

The 11-year pro described his life in Chicago as "simple." He stays a couple minutes away from Halas Hall, goes to work each weekday and relaxes at home afterward. That simplicity has resulted in a smooth transition for the Atlanta native.

Being in the building with his teammates nearly every day for the past six weeks of the offseason program has also helped Jarrett get acclimated to his new surroundings. While he possesses the most NFL experience on the Bears defense and is known for his leadership skills, Jarrett has enjoyed sitting back and seeing what his new teammates are made of versus utilizing his voice right away.

"More importantly than a voice, I think just the way you come to work, coming to put in work daily, but the thing about it is, the guys have showed up to put in work," Jarrett said. "We've been grinding. It's been a heck of an offseason program, and it's been fun and challenging because it's pulling us together, man. It's challenging every man involved to put their best foot forward, not one out of the four days or two out of four, but every day."

Before offseason work at Halas Hall even began, Jarrett had the opportunity to work with a few of his defensive line counterparts. Shortly after Jarrett signed his three-year contract with the Bears, third-year pro Gervon Dexter Sr. reached out and invited him to workout with a group of NFL players, including Bears defensive ends Montez Sweat and Austin Booker, in Miami.

"I thought that was a big gesture for him to invite me to be able to hang out with them, spend some time working on some craft," Jarrett said. "I was able to meet him and 'Tez before I came in the building. I think that's been good for our relationship even before we got in the building. That just shows his willingness to try to take that next step."

In their short time together, Jarrett has seen Dexter's desire to grow as a leader as well as his determination to make a jump in Year 3. Jarrett recognizes the extra work Dexter is putting in this offseason, whether it be arriving at Halas early in the morning, spending extra time with the coaches or pushing himself in the weight room.

"Year 3 is such a critical time," Jarrett said. "It's when you can take that big leap. You've played some football, you get more comfortable and now you can know how to apply things and really, really take that big step, man. So I'm excited to see what happens for him. I think our styles complement each other very well and I can't wait to continue to go hunt with that guy."

Another young defensive lineman Jarrett is keeping his eye on is rookie Shemar Turner, who the Bears selected out of Texas A&M with the No. 62 overall pick. Turner has previously discussed his eagerness to learn from and play with Jarrett, who he studied in college.

To Jarrett, who lauded Turner's natural ability, that sentiment "means a lot" and isn't something he takes lightly. While Jarrett wants to be a mentor to Turner, he also wants the rookie to feel as though they're running parallel.

"Some of the younger players that come in look up to me, but then when we get to talking and repping, it's like, 'man, we're like brothers,'" Jarrett said. "It makes them more comfortable to go be themselves, and whatever I can do to help mentor them, I'm definitely willing.

"It pushes me because … I've clearly got a standard to uphold. He can't be coming in and meeting me and being like, 'Oh man, this is you?' I gotta hold up my end of the bargain too, so it keeps me going. So it's definitely a two-way street, man. I can't wait to see what the future's got for him."

While Jarrett is now serving as that veteran presence for the young defensive linemen, he's receiving that same type of wisdom from longtime defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.

When Allen joined the Bears in February, he stated his intent for the Bears to be an "attacking, aggressive style of defense." With installs and practices now underway during the first few days of OTAs, Jarrett is seeing Allen's vision come to light.

"It's going to take a lot of work for us to be able to achieve what we're capable of, but that's the beautiful part of it," Jarrett said. "It's a process, day in and day out, and just establishing the culture, the way we want to practice, the way we want to play the game. That's what it's about. I think we are all here just learning each other, putting our best foot forward every day to be able to put our best defensive product out there."

For the past ten years, Jarrett's relationship with Allen has been through an NFC South rivalry. Jarrett was drafted by the Falcons in 2015, the same year Allen started his second stint with the Saints, which eventually led to him being New Orleans' defensive coordinator (2015-21) and head coach (2022-24).

Now being part of the same team, Jarrett is appreciating Allen's intensity and experience.

"What is refreshing is working with a coach that has such a high standard for what he expects," Jarrett said, "and the detail, with the work to back it up, the resumé to back it up, and to be able to just learn from a great defensive mind, I'm really appreciating.

"That's something that I'm definitely taking from this experience, and I can't wait to see where it takes us."