Is Gervon Dexter the Bears’ Biggest Bargain Heading Into 2026?

Gervon Dexter’s breakout 2025 season is starting to raise a serious question: Are the Chicago Bears getting one of the NFL’s best bargains at defensive tackle?

Bleacher Report recently named Gervon Dexter the most underpaid player on the Bears, highlighting just how much value Chicago is getting from the ascending defensive lineman.

Gervon Dexter Emerging as One of Bears’ Best Bargains

Bleacher Report didn’t just throw Dexter’s name out casually; they doubled down on a previous evaluation.

“We went with Dexter over Caleb Williams last year and are sticking with those guys as our winner and runner-up after both continued to make progress in 2025," Brad Gagnon wrote.

Williams may be the face of the franchise, but from a pure value standpoint, Dexter’s contract stands out more for some analysts.

The Numbers Show Why Gervon Dexter Is Underpaid

The production is catching up to the potential.

Dexter finished the 2025 season with:

• 6 sacks (career high)
• 2 forced fumbles

All while playing on a rookie deal that will cost the Bears just $2.1 million in 2026.

For comparison, Williams is set to make more than $10 million next season, which is expected for a quarterback, underscoring the gap between impact and cost when evaluating roster value.

Why Dexter Matters for the Bears’ Defense

This is exactly the kind of development general manager Ryan Poles has been banking on.

Dexter’s growth into a disruptive interior presence gives the Bears:

• A cost-controlled difference-maker
• Flexibility to spend elsewhere on the roster
• A foundational piece along the defensive line

Interior pressure is one of the hardest traits to find in today’s NFL. If Dexter continues trending upward, Chicago may have landed a long-term solution at defensive tackle without paying premium dollars, at least for now.

The Bigger Picture: A Contract Clock Is Ticking

The flip side of being “underpaid” is what comes next.

If Dexter builds on his 2025 breakout, the Bears will eventually have to make a decision about a second contract, and those don’t come cheap for productive defensive linemen.

Entering the 2026 season, our BearsTalk contract projection tool has Dexter valued at a four-year, $54 million contract with $27 million guaranteed. But the confidence grade for that valuation is medium, meaning there's a good chance he'll be worth even more by the end of the year.

For now, though, Chicago is benefiting from one of the better value deals on its roster.