Rising defensive star deemed Chicago Bears’ most underpaid player

While the Chicago Bears have gotten plenty of praise for their offseason work, the biggest piece of flack has been how much the franchise has been willing to give out in contracts. Still, the Bears have plenty of players on their roster whose play has outperformed their current pay check.

Even with the free agency additions of center Drew Dalman, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo, the Bears still have the 19th-most cap space in the league, via Spotrac. That includes the trade acquisitions of guards Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney.

While it’s not as glamorous as the start of the offseason, it shows that Chicago still has wiggle room to work with after taking an aggressive free agency approach. And the Bears can do that because of players like defensive tackle Gervon Dexter. Set to make just over $1 million in 2025, Dexter was named the most underpaid player on the Bears by Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report.

“Caleb Williams would be an acceptable answer, too, but he wasn’t as convincing as Daniels and Nix in Washington and Denver, respectively,” Gagnon wrote. “Instead, let’s highlight Dexter, who broke out as a pass-rushing-savvy sophomore starter in Chicago’s blossoming defense and cost the team just $1.5 million. He’ll also come cheap in both 2025 and 2026.”

Gervon Dexter’s rise with Chicago Bears

The Bears originally selected Dexter with No. 53 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. It was the pick Chicago got from the Baltimore Ravens in their Roquan Smith trade. And it didn’t take long for Dexter to make an impact, as he appeared in all 17 games as a rookie, making 20 tackles, 12 quarterback hits and 2.5 sacks.

Come the 2024 season however, Dexter was promoted to full-time starter. Over 15 games, the defensive tackle made 51 tackles, 19 quarterback hits and five sacks. He led the team in QB hits while finishing behind just Montez Sweat in sacks. Furthermore, Dexter earned a 70.3 grade from Pro Football Focus, ranking 28/219 defensive tackles.

Chicago has Dexter under contract through the 2027 season. And his largest cap hit is just over $2.1 million in 2026. If he continues upping his play, he will assuredly be in line for a contract extension. But until then, Dexter will continue looking to prove why he deserves a bigger bag.

Dexter optimism entering 2025

There are plenty of reasons to feel optimistic about Dexter’s 2025 output. A lot of it is on the player himself. Chicago challenged Dexter to take a step forward in 2024 and entrusted him with a starting role. He proved he can fill it admirably and that he can be a building block on defense. Now entering his third NFL season, Dexter should be fully acclimated and ready to put all the pieces together.

But the Bears weren’t prepared to enter the 2025 campaign with the same look across their defensive line. Chicago signed both defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. Both are strong players in their own right, but will also make it easier for Dexter to be disruptive. Opposing offensive lines now have numerous defensive weapons coming at them. The defensive lineman should find more ways to take advantage and make his living in the opponent’s back field.

The Bears also brought in a new defensive leader in Dennis Allen. While Dexter shined in 2024, Chicago had numerous play callers on defense from Eric Williams to Matt Eberflus. Now, the defensive tackle will be playing under one unified voice under a well-respected defensive mind. While Allen’s final season in New Orleans didn’t go well, the Saints were one of the strongest defensive forces in the league over his first two years as head coach.

As Ben Johnson steps into his new role as head coach, he is looking to transform Chicago’s defensive identity. But he and everyone on the Bears’ staff knows the defense needs a facelift too. If Dexter can continue performing, he will officially be a member of Johnson’s defensive core. And that will carry heavy weight in the Windy City for years to come.

The Bears won’t mind that the defensive tackle is coming at a discount until extension talks perk up.