Gervon Dexter Sr. 2026 Chicago Bears Season Preview

At only 24 years old, Gervon Dexter Sr. is a player who ideally should be with the Chicago Bears for years to come.

In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Bears made a pretty significant investment in Dexter by drafting him with the 53rd overall pick. Up to this point, that move seems to be a good one.

Dexter has put up some production in each of his first three seasons, with an increase in sacks every single time. As a rookie, Dexter had 2.5 sacks, then five in year two and six in year three.

As a rookie, Dexter only had 20 tackles, zero tackles for loss, and 12 quarterback hits, but to be fair, he only started in one game. When Dexter started in 15 games that following season, he had 51 tackles, four tackles for loss and 19 quarterback hits. 

2025 would see Dexter have an increase in tackles for loss to six, but his tackles went to 44, and he only had 11 quarterback hits.

Expectations for Gervon Dexter Sr. in 2026

If Dexter has the 2nd most sacks once again in 2026, that’s not necessarily a great thing because ideally one of Austin Booker or Dayo Odeyingbo should improve and have a big year.  However, based on what we’ve seen, Dexter should finish third in sacks at the very least. 

It’s clear that Dexter provides his value as a pass rusher at this point. When looking at PFF as well, Dexter earned a 72.7 PFF pass rush grade, which ranked 20th among 134 DIs. On the other hand, he would earn a 44 run defense grade that ranked 107th. 

At this point, Dexter has established a strong floor as a pass rusher. It’s only two seasons, but with Dexter only heading into year four, there’s no real indication that we should see a dramatic dip.

Beyond just the sack numbers, Dexter had 38 total pressures, ranking 19th, and 25 hurries, which ranked 25th. Where you start to see a dip is with his 20 stops, ranking 44th.

With Dexter, all signs point to him adding a ton of value as a pass rusher from the inside once again, as he turns 25 years old on October 5th. 

At the same time, there’s also going to be a lot of pressure on Dexter. With the Bears not making a big move on the defensive line, that means Dexter has to have another good year, or else this defense could suffer.