​USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConnectThe Chicago Bears are making a major change to their defensive front just two weeks before the regular season.Chicago traded defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Bears will receive cornerback Clark Phillips III and a fifth-round pick in return.Trade terms, per source:🏈Bears receive CB Clark Phillips III and a fifth-round pick.🏈Falcons receive DT Gervon Dexter. https://t.co/NG23VcLOjg— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 30, 2026Dexter, 24, was a second-round pick by the Bears in 2023 and is entering the final year of his rookie contract. He started all 17 games last season, recording 44 tackles, six tackles for loss and a career-best six sacks.The move gives Atlanta an ascending interior pass rusher at a time when Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham has firsthand knowledge of the player. Cunningham was Chicago’s assistant general manager in 2023 when the Bears selected Dexter out of Florida with the No. 53 overall pick.Nov 3, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Chicago Bears defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. (99) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesFor the Bears, the deal represents a meaningful roster gamble. Dexter was Chicago’s most disruptive interior presence, but the team apparently did not view a contract extension as the right long-term investment. With Dexter set for free agency after the season, general manager Ryan Poles chose to turn him into a young cornerback and draft capital rather than risk losing him for nothing.Still, six sacks from the interior are difficult to replace from within. The Bears’ defensive front already carried questions all offseason. Montez Sweat remains the group’s only proven edge rusher. Austin Booker is week-to-week with a groin injury and Marcus Davenport is still working his way into football shape after joining the team in August. Veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett is expected to play a major role, but he turned 33 in April. Chicago now will need several less-proven players to take on larger workloads.Neville Gallimore and Kentavius Street are candidates for more snaps, while sixth-round rookie Jordan van den Berg has impressed throughout training camp and the preseason. ESPN’s Courtney Cronin noted that Bears coach Ben Johnson had praised his interior defensive-line group this week and specifically highlighted van den Berg’s progress, an indication that the staff believed Dexter had become expendable.That faith will be tested immediately. Dexter did not travel with the Bears to Tennessee for their joint practice and preseason finale against the Titans after suffering a hamstring injury. Johnson said the injury was the reason for his absence, rather than the swirling trade rumors, but it clearly did not prevent Atlanta from finalizing a trade for him.The return does address a real need for Chicago.Credit: Dale Zan