Bear Digest

Gervon Dexter Trade Hoax Exposed as Not Being on the Bears' Plate

A report teams sought Gervon Dexter in a trade was shot down completely by one Bears insider, and closer examination makes the idea seem ridiculous.
Gene Chamberlain|
Gervon Dexter reacts to one of his six sacks last season. A report that Dexter is the object of trade talk has been doused.
Gervon Dexter reacts to one of his six sacks last season. A report that Dexter is the object of trade talk has been doused. | David Banks-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

One of the more stunning revelations regarding the Bears during last week's NFL combine was how they were getting trade calls regarding defensive tackle Gervon Dexter.

This was reported by Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz and it fueled all kinds of speculation on who the teams were and what they were going to give for him.

None of it made much sense from a Bears standpoint and are good reasons. It's all fiction, according to Tribune Bears writer Brad Biggs. Speaking in his regular spot on WSCR's Mully & Haugh, Biggs didn't just offer up opinion on this matter.

"Gervon Dexter's not ... they're not taking calls on him, they're not making calls on him," Biggs told David Haugh and Mike Mulligan. "I'm reporting nothing is happening on that."

The report had also sparked all sorts of speculation that Dexter might be part of a trade for either Maxx Crosby or even potential free agent Trey Hendrickson.

Why trade talk was unlikely

None of this made sense because one of the problems the Bears have is lack of numbers at defensive tackle, in addition to quality of play. Dexter rated top 20 in terms of pass rush among defensive tackles last year according to Pro Football Focus.com.  He has played only three seasons and this is his contract year. This is usually a reason teams might trade a player but it's entirely possible Dexter might suddenly improve as a run stopper if paired with different defensive tackles.

When a team has little overall interior or edge rush like the Bears, getting rid of one player who did produce a career-high six sacks last year makes almost no sense unless it brings another interior player in return. If they traded him and then drafted another defensive tackle, they'd merely be replacing Dexter and still need at last two other defensive tackles, if not three. 

Grady Jarrett, who turns 33 this season, is the only other defensive tackle under contract for 2026.

Now, if teams are actually calling about Dexter it would make more sense. Often  defensive tackles need three or four years to develop in the league.

As an example, Javon Hargrave, who reportedly will be released by the Vikings, had three straight seasons with seven sacks or more but it didn't happen until his sixth season. In his third year, he had 6 1/2 sacks, the same year in his career Dexter had six. Dexter Lawrence was a solid player for three years or flashed, but in Year 4 he became a Pro Bowl and All-Pro beast with 7 1/2 sacks and seven tackles for loss.

The Bears have never expressed  anything negative about Dexter other than a need for more consistency and that he needed to get better at doing something all the defensive linemen did, and that was adapting to a new pass rush technique required by Dennis Allen's scheme.

Dexter ran a faster 40 time and is roughly the same size as projected first-round defensive tackle Caleb Banks, who played at the same college (Florida).

While there are factors that lend themselves to the Bears trading Dexter, like his contract expiring in March of 2027, there is nothing logical to it when they need higher quality among interior defensive linemen, lack any cap space, and simply need numbers at this position for next year's roster.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.