The New Orleans Saints were apparently serious about adding defensive tackle Gervon Dexter. Instead, one of their biggest rivals walked away with him.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported on August 30 that the Saints and New York Giants were among the teams showing interest in Dexter before the Chicago Bears traded him to the Atlanta Falcons. Schultz described Dexter’s market as “heavy” but said Atlanta showed the strongest interest and finalized the deal over the weekend.
That is a painful ending for New Orleans for two reasons.
The Saints did not land a young interior pass rusher who could have helped replace some of what they lost with Bryan Bresee. Worse, Dexter is now headed directly into the NFC South.
Saints’ Gervon Dexter Interest Reveals a Real Need
New Orleans’ reported pursuit makes considerable sense after what happened on the first day of training camp.
Bresee tore his ACL and will miss the entire 2026 season, removing one of the Saints’ most productive interior pass rushers from the equation before the season even begins. He had accumulated 14.5 sacks and 31 quarterback hits through his first three NFL seasons.
The Saints still have veteran Davon Godchaux and other options on the interior. Godchaux helped anchor a unit that contributed to New Orleans finishing sixth in opponent yards per carry last season, while Nathan Shepherd and others provide experienced depth.
Dexter, however, offered something particularly valuable after Bresee’s injury: youth and proven interior pressure.
The former Bears second-round pick has appeared in 49 games with 33 starts and recorded 13.5 sacks through three seasons. He finished 2025 with six sacks, continuing his development as a disruptive interior defender.
And he would not have required an enormous immediate financial commitment.
Dexter is entering the final season of his rookie contract with a 2026 base salary of roughly $1.59 million, according to Over the Cap. He is scheduled to reach unrestricted free agency in 2027.
For a Saints team suddenly missing Bresee for an entire season, that profile was logical to investigate.
Falcons Beat Saints to Dexter
Atlanta ultimately made the deal happen.
The Bears are receiving cornerback Clark Phillips III and a fifth-round draft pick in exchange for Dexter, according to multiple reports.
That return adds another layer to the Saints’ miss.
This was not a blockbuster package built around a premium draft choice. Atlanta found a way to acquire a productive, starting-caliber defensive lineman without surrendering an early-round pick.
What New Orleans offered — or how close the Saints came to completing a deal — has not been reported. Schultz’s account does establish, though, that the Saints were part of a competitive market and that the Falcons ultimately pushed hardest.
For New Orleans, the outcome turns an intriguing trade pursuit into a divisional problem.
The Falcons now get to plug Dexter into their defensive front for the 2026 season while the Saints continue searching for ways to replace the pressure Bresee would have provided.
Saints May Not Be Finished Looking
Perhaps the most important piece of Schultz’s report for Saints fans is what it says about New Orleans rather than Dexter.
The Saints are checking the market.
New Orleans was already making difficult roster decisions ahead of the August 30 cutdown deadline, and its pursuit of Dexter suggests the front office is willing to look outside the building for a meaningful addition rather than relying exclusively on its existing defensive tackle group. The Saints began their final cuts Saturday by waiving 10 players.
There is no guarantee another player of Dexter’s caliber becomes available before Week 1. But the Saints have now provided a fairly strong signal about the type of opportunity they are willing to explore.
The frustrating part is that this one did become available.
And now Dexter belongs to the Falcons.
Saints’ Gervon Dexter Trade Push Ends With NFC South Gut Punch