The Chicago Bears are trading defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. to the Atlanta Falcons for cornerback Clark Phillips III and a 2027 fifth-round pick, a league source told The Athletic on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the deal.

Dexter, 24, was a second-round pick in 2023 who started 32 games for the Bears over the last two years and has recorded 115 tackles and 13.5 sacks in his career. The 6-foot-6, 326-pounder joins a completely remade defensive interior in Atlanta, where the Falcons already added Da’Shawn Hand (free agency), Maason Smith (trade) and Chris Williams (free agency) to their front. Hand has missed more than two weeks of training camp due to a lower-body injury, and his status for Week 1 is unclear, which may have prompted the Dexter deal.

Phillips, a fourth-round pick in 2023, played in 11 games with five starts as a rookie and had five passes defensed. He appeared in 16 games in 2024, with two starts and one interception to go along with two forced fumbles. Last season, Phillips appeared in only one game and spent most of the season on injured reserve with a triceps injury. During his time in Atlanta, the 24-year-old has been an outside corner.

Top Plays from Bears @ Titans

Dexter did not travel with the Bears to Tennessee after leaving Tuesday’s practice with a hamstring injury. He has not consistently been a starting defensive tackle in training camp, and the team added three interior linemen this offseason: veterans Neville Gallimore and Kentavius Street and sixth-round rookie Jordan van den Berg, who has been outstanding in training camp and the preseason.

Asked about Dexter before Tuesday’s practice, Bears coach Ben Johnson highlighted the tackle’s durability — he’s missed only two games in his career and started every game in 2025. However, last year’s defense was one of the league’s worst against the run and also struggled to get after the passer. Johnson said the coaches “challenged (Dexter) to do some technique things a little bit different this year. When he does it, it’s a beautiful thing.”

Gallimore or Street will likely start next to Grady Jarrett for the Bears in their base defense. They also move defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo inside for passing downs.

Ian Cunningham, Atlanta’s first-year general manager, was the assistant general manager in Chicago when the Bears drafted Dexter. It’s an aggressive move for the Falcons, who, under Cunningham, first-year head coach Kevin Stefanski and first-year president of football Matt Ryan, are trying to snap a streak of eight losing seasons.

How Phillips fits in Chicago

In Phillips, the Bears add cornerback depth with a young player entering a contract year. The Bears have been without nickel corner Kyler Gordon all summer, which has forced rookie Malik Muhammad to begin his NFL career in the slot. Reserve corner Jaylon Jones injured his hamstring in Saturday night’s preseason finale.

Falcons secondary coach Justin Hood praised Phillips’ development this week, saying he has focused on becoming a more consistent player rather than simply hunting big plays, but cornerback is the deepest position in Atlanta. The Falcons drafted Avieon Terrell in the second round this spring and expect Billy Bowman to return to action soon after rehabbing a torn Achilles tendon throughout the offseason.

Dexter’s future in Atlanta

The Falcons hope to get a new deal done with Dexter and make him more than a one-year rental in Atlanta, according to a team source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss future plans. That would allow Atlanta to build around a young core of defensive tackles in Dexter, Smith and Brandon Dorlus. Smith and Dorlus are both entering their third year in the league.