The Bears may have handed Gervon Dexter Sr. a reason to circle Week 6.
Chicago’s offseason decision to move the defensive tackle to the Falcons remains one of the more polarizing calls it made, especially after sending him to an NFC opponent and receiving limited compensation in return. Clark Phillips has not played a snap for Ben Johnson’s team, and a fifth-round pick does not look like much for a player who is producing at this level.
Dexter has opened the season on a tear. According to TruMedia, via Pro Football Network, he leads all defensive tackles with a 14.5 percent pressure rate.
Pro Football Focus has him graded as the No. 4 DT in the league at 81.9, and his numbers stack up with that ranking: 18 total pressures, 14 hurries, 15 total tackles and one sack.
The Falcons rewarded that start with a four-year, $78 million contract extension, while Johnson framed the move as a clean break for both sides.
"He's a phenomenal football player," Johnson said (h/t Mason Williams)." We know that about him.
(Trading him) was one of those things I think it was a win-win for both sides in terms of getting him a fresh start and going down to a really good style of defense that matches his skillset. He's playing hard, he's getting out of the stack, he's chasing the ball down, which is really the MO of their entire defense."
That’s the theory, anyway. The Bears did get some financial breathing room, but not nearly enough draft capital or player value to make the departure feel fair if Dexter keeps playing like this. Chicago’s defense has been better than expected, though the source of that jump hasn’t clearly been Dexter leaving or Neville Gallimore arriving.
Now the two sides meet again on Sunday in Atlanta, with the Bears likely getting Caleb Williams back on the field. Chicago’s offense has done a respectable job up front this season, but center Garrett Bradbury has been the weakest link, and that could be dangerous against a lineman who knows those blocking schemes as well as Dexter does.
There’s another layer here, too: defensive coordinator Dennis Allen knows Dexter’s strengths and tendencies better than most coaches. That makes Sunday feel like a real chess match. If Dexter shows up with a chip on his shoulder, the Bears could be staring at a long afternoon.
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