BEARS LOSE HIM FOR NOTHING – Falcons Hand Him $78 MILLION! | Gervon Dexter Sr.

Gervon Dexter Sr. spent three seasons with the Chicago Bears after being a second-round pick (53rd overall) out of Florida in 2023. Chicago traded him to the Atlanta Falcons ahead of the 2026 season, saying he wasn't a scheme fit for defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. Atlanta immediately signed him to a four-year, $78 million extension with $46.5 million guaranteed, and he now grades 13th of 132 qualifying defensive linemen per Pro Football Focus. This video explains the part of the story the coverage skipped: under Article 7, Section 7 of the NFL's collective bargaining agreement, the fifth-year option that lets a team hold a rookie contract for an extra season only applies to first-round picks. As a second-rounder, Dexter's rookie deal was always capped at four years with no option attached, which meant Chicago was never choosing between "pay him or keep him cheap" — the real choice was pay him now or trade him before losing him for nothing. Narration are AI generated. #GervonDexter #ChicagoBears #BearsNews