Defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. is in the final year of his rookie contract after the Chicago Bears drafted him with the 53rd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
He posted a career-high six sacks last season and didn’t miss a game in the regular season. Although he achieved some individual success, the defensive line as a whole didn’t perform well in stopping the run or rushing the passer.
The Bears showed this offseason that they needed to upgrade the talent on the interior defensive line. General manager Ryan Poles signed Neville Gallimore to a two-year, $10 million contract. Veterans Kentavius Street and James Lynch were also added on one-year deals. In the sixth round, the Bears drafted Georgia Tech’s Jordan van den Berg – who has been making some noise in training camp and working his way up to taking reps with the first-team defense.
Gervon Dexter might need to step up in 2026 season with Bears
Regardless of experience or annual average salary, the Bears will put players on the field who best help them win. Dexter has, at times, shown flashes, but he needs to show consistency early in the season if he wants to maintain his starting position on the D-line.
Gallimore, Street, Lynch, and van den Berg are all looking for their opportunities to prove their worth to defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and the rest of this coaching staff. When Gallimore was asked about van den Berg, the veteran had some glowing remarks about the rookie.
“Man, I think he's going to be a hell of a football player," Gallimore said. "I think he's growing. His understanding of the game is improving every day, and I just love his competitiveness. Again, great guy for the locker room. He does his job at a high level, and, you know, again, I think he's only going to get better, you know, as he continued to be a part of the system, and I'll say this, I think the greatest thing that ever happened to him was coming to this team and being a part of this defense. I think he's going to, again, be a guy that surprises a lot of people this year."
Dexter told reporters last weekend that this defensive tackle group is one of the better ones he has been around, so there is no room for a slip-upamong. He also feels like he is coming off one of his better offseasons of his career. Defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett and senior defensive assistant Bill Johnson put together a game plan to help Dexter and the rest of the defensive line improve this season, focusing on the players’ stances. Dexter believes his hand striking is one of his biggest improvements, which will help knock back the line of scrimmage.
Nothing is guaranteed in the NFL, regardless of position. To secure a long-term spot with the Bears, Dexter needs to elevate his play and sustain it throughout the entire 2026 season. Then he can position himself to earn a new contract, something he hasn’t thought about too much this year.
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“I think I came into this year solely focused on just improving and getting better and understanding that, you know, I mean, all of that stuff gonna work itself out,” Dexter said. “If you know, I mean, if I got better, if I get better and do the things I need to do and take care of the things I need to take care of, things always fall into place.”
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