Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles made a bold move, trading away former 2023 second-round pick Gervon Dexter Sr. to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a fifth-round pick and cornerback Clark Phillips III.
Dexter was heading into the final year of his rookie deal, and Poles likely wasn’t willing to offer him an extension after the season, which could have been upwards of $20 million per year.
However, that wasn’t the only reason why Poles felt comfortable trading him away.
Ryan Poles Sends Message on the Gervon Dexter Trade
Speaking with the media on September 1st, Ryan Poles commented on trading away Gervon Dexter, saying, “That deal was more about timing than anything. Timing and fit. We had some young guys really pushing that came in this year with Jordan [van den Berg] and [Jayden] Loving, that did a really good job, and we felt like it was good if we moved forward.”
Most Bears fans have heard of the progress that Van den Berg has been making this offseason, going from reps with the third-string defense to reps with the first-team defense and making his case as a starting defensive tackle despite being a sixth-round pick.
“He’s a beast,” head coach Ben Johnson said regarding Van den Berg. “He’s an incredible athlete. He’s still learning the game of football to a degree, and yet it’s amazing what he brings to the table.”
However, some fans may not know much about Loving, who was one of three undrafted free agents to make the Bears’ 53-man roster.
“You watch his Wake Forest tape and they kind of slanted him and were moving him around,” defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett said. “So you’ve got to look at the player, does he have power? Can he come out of his hips? And that was the one thing that we determined: Yeah, he can do it.”
“My biggest goal is working on getting better tomorrow,” Loving said. “When it’s too big of a goal or too broad of a goal, your mind can get lost. I am focusing on the moment, and that is going to build me into the player I need to be.”
Can the Bears Defensive Line Improve in 2026?
The hope is yes. The Bears will be without Gervon Dexter, but now have a fully healthy (and motivated) Dayo Odeyingbo, along with the two youngsters in the middle with Jordan van den Berg and Jayden Loving.
Last season, Chicago ranked 31st in pass rush win rate (29%) and 26th in run stop win rate (29%) according to ESPN’s metrics, but it’s hard to imagine the Bears will vastly improve when looking at the defensive line on paper:
Defensive Tackles
- Grady Jarrett
- Neville Gallimore
- Jayden Loving
- Kentavius Street
- Jordan van den Berg
Edge Rushers
If the Bears’ pass rush continues to struggle, maybe Poles would look to trade for a defensive lineman during the 2026 NFL trade deadline, as he did with Montez Sweat back in 2023.
Bears GM Ryan Poles Sends Message on Gervon Dexter Trade