Gervon Dexter Sr. gets his flowers from Chicago Bears after $78 million extension

Defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. spent the first three years of his NFL career with the Chicago Bears after being a second-round pick in 2023. But heading into the 2026 season, the Bears decided to trade him away to the Atlanta Falcons.

Chicago felt that Dexter wasn’t a fit for defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s scheme. They trusted other options they had on the roster. Furthermore, Dexter was set to be a free agent after the 2026 campaign and the Bears didn’t want to dole out a massive extension.

The Falcons had much different intentions. After acquiring him, Atlanta signed Dexter to a four-year, $78 million contract extension with $46.5 million guaranteed. He’ll now be a staple in the middle of the Falcons’ defensive line for the foreseeable future. With a 77.7 grade from Pro Football Focus, ranking 13/132 defensive lineman, Dexter seems to have fit in nicely in his new surroundings.

The Bears haven’t forgotten about their old defensive lineman amidst his breakout. C0aches and players alike certainly took notice of his new $78 million bag.

Chicago Bears react to Gervon Dexter extension

Defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett is now in his second season with the Bears. While his time with Dexter was cut short, it didn’t take long for the assistant coach to recognize his talent. When the defensive tackle’s extension was announced, Garrett made sure to congratulate him, via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

“I was excited for Gervon,” defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett said. “I sent him a text, congratulations, man. He said appreciate everything, coach. You see the work he put in in the offseason with us here. Obviously we’ve got a good relationship with our guys, so as soon as I saw that, it was just excitement, ‘Man, it’s awesome for him. He can take care of his family for a long time.’”

“I thought he had improved from last year from the work he put in during the offseason, improving the get-off and all that stuff,” he continued. “I thought I saw a jump in the player so I wasn’t surprised to see what he’s doing now.”

Defensive end Austin Booker played alongside Dexter for two seasons. He was able to see the defensive tackle’s explosiveness up close. Furthermore, they were able to create a bond that transcends organizations.

“Guys in here that were close to him were definitely super excited,” defensive end Austin Booker said. “It was a big thing (Wednesday). We love it and we’re super proud of him. It was a positive for everyone even though he’s not on the team anymore.”

While he no longer plays for the Bears, Dexter has shown he still has an allegiance to the organization. In turn, those were around him made sure he knew he deserved the contract extension.

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