Bears trade defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. to Falcons for cornerback, draft pick: reactions

Ahead of the Bears’ Sunday 5 p.m. deadline to trim to a 53-man roster, Chicago traded defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. to the Atlanta Falcons. In return, the Bears received cornerback Clark Phillips III and a fifth-round pick, ESPN reported. Dexter, 24, was Chicago’s 53rd-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of the University of Florida, totaling 49 games, 115 tackles, 42 quarterback hits and 13.5 sacks. He set a career high in 2025 with six sacks. Phillips, 24, was selected 113th overall in 2023 and has 821 defensive snaps, mostly at nickel and on the perimeter, but played only nine snaps in 2025 due to a triceps injury.