The Atlanta Falcons have locked up defensive tackle Gervon Dexter on a new contract. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Dexter and the Falcons agreed to a four-year, $78 million extension Wednesday, with $46.5 million guaranteed; the team later confirmed the deal.
Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham praised Dexter’s rare combination of power and disruptive play on the defensive front and highlighted the personal growth he’s shown off the field as a father and teammate, also thanking agents Drew and Jason Rosenhaus for their work on the negotiation.
Atlanta acquired Dexter from the Chicago Bears last month, sending cornerback Clark Phillips and a future fifth-round pick to Chicago to strengthen their interior defensive line before the season. Dexter was entering the final year of his original four-year, $6.7 million rookie contract after being selected No. 53 overall by the Bears in the 2023 draft out of Florida, and he would have reached free agency after this season.
In three games with the Falcons he’s already made an impact, totaling seven tackles and half a sack. The timing of the trade made a big new contract unlikely in Chicago, and this deal now puts Dexter among the top 15 highest-paid interior defensive linemen in the NFL — alongside names like Philadelphia’s Jordan Davis — well behind the market leader, Chiefs star Chris Jones ($158.7 million).
The Falcons, who earned their first victory last week with a 35-14 road win over Green Bay, will face the New Orleans Saints in Week 4.
Fan Take: This extension signals that Atlanta views Dexter as a foundational piece of their defensive rebuild — his youth and early production make this a high-upside investment. For NFL fans, it’s another example of how quickly a mid-round rookie can rise in value, and it could push teams to be more aggressive in extending recently acquired young defenders.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
