Bears trade Gervon Dexter to Falcons for CB Clark Phillips III and a fifth-round pick

sportsAug 30, 202624169

The Chicago Bears traded defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. to the Atlanta Falcons for cornerback Clark Phillips III and a 2027 fifth-round pick, The Athletic reported. Dexter, 24, was a second-round pick in 2023 who started 32 games for the Bears and recorded 115 tackles and 13.5 sacks in his career; he left a recent practice with a hamstring injury and did not travel with the team to Tennessee. The 6-foot-6, 326-pound tackle joins an Atlanta defensive interior that already added Da’Shawn Hand, Maason Smith and Chris Williams this offseason, with Hand sidelined more than two weeks of training camp and his Week 1 status unclear. Bears coach Ben Johnson praised Dexter’s durability, noting Dexter has missed only two career games and started every game in 2025, while also saying coaches asked him to change some technique. Clark Phillips III, 24, was a fourth-round pick in 2023 who played 11 games with five starts as a rookie, appeared in 16 games in 2024 with one interception and two forced fumbles, and spent most of 2025 on injured reserve with a triceps injury. Falcons first-year general manager Ian Cunningham previously worked in Chicago when the Bears drafted Dexter, and Atlanta’s move is part of an aggressive offseason under Cunningham, head coach Kevin Stefanski and president of football Matt Ryan. The Bears add cornerback depth with Phillips entering a contract year while dealing with nickel corner Kyler Gordon’s absence and a hamstring injury to reserve corner Jaylon Jones.

Ian Rapoport

@rapsheet.bsky.social

The Bears are trading DT Gervon Dexter Sr to the Falcons, as they add a player who started 17 games last season, per me and Adam Schefter. The Bears are getting back Clark Phillips and 5th rounder.

5945d ago

Kevin Fishbain

@kfishbain.bsky.social

The Bears are trading DT Gervon Dexter to the Falcons for a fifth-round pick and CB Clark Phillips, per colleague @jjones9.bsky.social. Ryan Poles deals with Ian Cunningham — who knows Dexter well — and the Bears get depth at corner.

3845d ago

Kevin Fishbain16

Story on the trade — why the Bears' DT depth allowed them to feel comfortable moving on from Dexter, what they get in Phillips, plus the Atlanta perspective from @joshkendall.bsky.social (free to read)

JoeyBagofDonuts13

Why didn't Poles deal with the head football executive?

Ryan Trauger4

Oh, Ian Cunningham is the GM? Thanks, NFL.

Reese Lightning1

But we're even thinner at DL. I don't understand the move

Quoting this

BK?2

Now hold on, surely Ryan Poles is dealing with Matt Ryan, right NFL?

Da Bears

@chicagobearsx.bsky.social

Adam Jahns: I don’t think there’s a reason to overthink this. Gervon Dexter wanted a second contract and he wasn’t going to get it from the Bears — who started to see more in Jordan van den Berg, Jayden Loving and even Kentavius Street. It happens. The rookies started to show more and more.

2745d ago

The Falcoholic

@thefalcoholic.bsky.social

TRADE! The Falcons swap Clark Phillips and a fifth round pick to the Bears for Gervon Dexter, a hulking defensive tackle who put up six sacks for Chicago in 2025. He's on an expiring deal but adds much-needed help for this Falcons pass rush www.thefalcoholic.com/atlanta-falc...

1545d ago

The Falcoholic3

Dexter is not a great run defender or tackler--at least not consistently--so that's something Nate Ollie and company will have to tinker with. But he's young, capable of generating pressure (which Ollie will love), and an obvious favorite of GM Ian Cunningham. There's room for improvement here

Bleacher Nation Bears

@bn-bears.bsky.social

Some Clark Phillips III fun facts: ⭐ 2022 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year 🇺🇸 Unanimous All-American (2022) 😎 First-team All-Pac-12 (2022) 🏈 2023 4th rd pick (113th overall) Phillips joins a Bears secondary that needs depth.

1245d ago

SHⵊNE

@shine912.blacksky.app

#Falcons turning Clark Phillips and a 5th-round pick into Gervon Dexter

345d ago

Michal Dwojak

@mdwojak94.bsky.social

The Chicago Bears reportedly traded former Gervon Dexter to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday morning for CB Clark Phillips III and a fifth-round pick. The move shows how the Bears felt they have enough in their near completely-remade defensive tackle room. www.shawlocal.com/bears/2026/0...

345d ago

Tom Pollin

@tjpollin.bsky.social

And the second round pick in that same 2023 draft, DL Gervon Dexter, was traded to the Falcons yesterday for CB Clark Phillips III.

245d ago

Trip Manfro 🍕🍺🍕🍺

@pfac51.bsky.social

@thebstiles.bsky.social - BREAKING: The Bears and Falcons have agreed to a trade that sends defensive tackle Gervon Dexter to Atlanta, per multiple reports. Dexter was a second-round pick by the Bears in 2023 and has started 32 games over the last two seasons with 11 sacks.

245d ago

Adam Schefter ... Mirror

@adamscheftermirror.bsky.social

Trade: Bears are sending defensive tackle Gervon Dexter to the Atlanta Falcons, per his agent Drew Rosenhaus. Original post

245d ago

Eli Ong

@thepenofeli.bsky.social

Did some digging on Clark Phillips after the Bears reportedly traded Gervon Dexter for him and a 5th round pick earlier today. According to PFF, he hasn’t logged a regular season snap since 2024, and the vast majority of his snaps with the Falcons from 2023-24 came as an outside corner.

145d ago

John

@johnsigler.bsky.social

The Saints were reportedly interested in trading for Chicago Bears defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr., but he's going to the Atlanta Falcons instead. | via Bob Rose saintswire.usatoday.com/story/sports...

145d ago

Jeff Bartlett

@jeffbartlett85.bsky.social

If the Bears were not going to re-sign Gervon Dexter after this season, mine as well get something for him now.

145d ago

Anthony Miller

@byanthonymiller.bsky.social

#Bears finally made the inevitable Gervon Dexter Sr. move fans have expected #DaBears beargoggleson.com/bears-finall...

145d ago

nicholasmoreano.bsky.social

@nicholasmoreano.bsky.social

Gervon Dexter Sr. is now a member of the Atlanta Falcons after the Bears traded him for cornerback Clark Phillips III and a Day 3 pick. More on this latest trade at @BearsRTB roundtable.io/sports/nfl/b...

145d ago

3 sources

nytimes.comBears trading DT Gervon Dexter to Falcons for CB Clark Phillips, draft pick: Source (Gift Article)cbsnews.comBears trading Gervon Dexter to Atlanta Falcons, reports say nbcsports.comBears to trade DT Gervon Dexter to Falcons for CB Clark Phillips and fifth-round pick

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Bears trade Gervon Dexter to Falcons for CB Clark Phillips III and a fifth-round pick

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