The Atlanta Falcons have traded cornerback Clark Phillips III and a fifth-round draft pick to the Chicago Bears in exchange for defensive lineman Gervon Dexter Sr., according to ESPN.
This move fills a void for the Falcons after their preseason performances showed a clear need for more solidity in the trenches on defense.
And Dexter certainly fits the bill to help Atlanta do just that.
Atlanta Falcons Strike Trade With Chicago Bears For Defensive Lineman Gervon Dexter Sr.
Dexter brings a lot to the table for the Falcons in time for the regular season, originally selected by the Bears with the No. 53 overall pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He is also a familiar face to Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham, who brought him over from the Bears over the offseason.
Cunningham played a role in taking the Florida product off the board in 2023, when he served as a member of the Bears front office, and clearly wants Dexter back in the fold elsewhere in his new home.
Dexter saw action in all 19 of Chicago’s regular season games in 2025, tallying 44 combined tackles (21 solo), six sacks and two fumble recoveries.
Over the three seasons of his professional career, Dexter has put together 115 total tackles (57 solo), 13.5 sacks, four fumble recoveries and three passes defended over 49 games.
Falcons Gain Defensive Upgrade Through Dexter As Regular Season Looms
Dexter is a talented difference-maker in his own right, no matter how you look at it. But, coupled with that, he’s a player that could be crucial to Atlanta’s level of defensive success in 2026. He’ll help against the run after the Falcons surrendered an average of 4.6 yards per carry last season to opponents, which was good for eighth-worst in the NFL.
The Falcons have already been dealt some blows on defense after the suspension of edge rusher James Pearce and the loss of defensive end Jalon Walker.
Pearce is being suspended for eight regular-season games after violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, and Walker is out for the season with a torn ACL, which he sustained during a pass-rush drill in a training camp practice.
The pair were Atlanta’s first-round selections in the 2025 NFL Draft. Now the Falcons will only have the opportunity to get one of them on the field… and not until roughly halfway through the season.
Getting Pearce back will bring a boost after he finished out his rookie year with 26 combined tackles (17 solo), 10.5 sacks, five pass deflections, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery over 17 games last season.
He ended the Falcons’ latest victory, a 17-12 win over the Miami Dolphins, with two tackles, one TFL, and three sacks.
With the preseason in the books and the Falcons having to pivot quickly to patch things up in the defensive unit, it will be interesting to see how much of an impact Dexter makes when the Falcons get to the real action in their Week 1 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Kickoff is set for Sept. 13 at 1 p.m. ET in Acrisure Stadium.
Falcons Make Bold Gervon Dexter Sr. Trade To Fix Major Defensive Need