It hit me this morning while writing BN Bears Bullets that we are less than 100 days away from watching the first Sunday of the 2026 NFL season kick off. We’re just 99 days away. So much of the transactional heavy lifting is over. And, save for the upcoming mandatory minicamp practices, we are just about out of the woods when it comes to the offseason.
Unfortunately, the Chicago Bears’ stadium saga has found a way to hijack my energy and attention recently in a way that has kept me from writing some stuff that I’ve wanted to share. So, I figured, that a breezy Saturday column with a smattering of thoughts was just what I needed to clear my head.
Is this Gervon Dexter Sr.’s last stand with the Chicago Bears?
Even though the Bears’ defensive line didn’t reel in a big-name addition in the offseason, the front office added plenty of competition to that position group. Would I rather be writing about how Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett, or Trey Hendrickson projects to impact Chicago’s defense? Absolutely. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to write about the state of the defensive line as currently constructed.
There are five new defensive tackles on the roster, with Neville Gallimore, James Lynch, Kentavius Street, Jordan van den Berg, and Jayden Loving joining the squad in the offseason. Shemar Turner might as well be a newbie after missing most of his rookie season with an injury. And yet, despite all of the new names, I’m constantly drawn to Gervon Dexter Sr. because the 2023 second-round pick is entering a pivotal point of his playing career.
Chicago Bears defensive lineman Gervon Dexter Sr. enters Soldier Field. © Talia Sprague-Imagn ImagesIf you look at just the numbers, you’d might not consider Dexter’s 2025 a disappointment. He set new career-bests in sacks (6) and tackles-for-loss (6) while starting all 17 games for the first time in his career. But Dexter’s advanced metrics paint a picture that makes it feel like last year was a letdown. His 57.7 overall grade from Pro Football Focus ranked 72nd of 134 qualifying interior defensive linemen. And while his 72.7 pass-rushing grade was 20th best among players in his position group, Dexter’s 44.0 run-defense grade ranked 107th. The Bears need more consistency from Dexter in run-stuffing situations if their defense is going to improve.
With that being said, Gervon Dexter Sr. appears to have a runway to prove he can be better than he has been in the past. And what better time to do that than in a contract year? If Dexter can have a breakout 2026 campaign, it could set him (and his new agent) up to land a big contract as a free agent next offseason. But if he can’t, there are a handful of players behind him on the depth chart who would love to eat into his playing time and prove themselves to this coaching staff, front office, and fan base.
Maybe Dexter will play well enough for the Bears to consider an extension. But if money is tight, then perhaps Dexter’s departure for a bigger deal elsewhere could help Chicago net a compensatory draft pick. We are a long way away from having that discussion, and we won’t have it at all unless Dexter puts it together in Year 4.
Where’s Darnell Wright’s extension?
It’s been “stadium deal” this and “stadium deal” that. And yet, I can’t stop thinking about the other deal we were hoping would be done by now — an extension for right tackle Darnell Wright. Back in February, Bears GM Ryan Poles said a Wright extension was “definitely a priority.” In April, the team picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal. But since then, there hasn’t been much chatter on the extension front.
On the one hand, I’m not overly concerned about it. After all, Wright is under contract for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. And if all else fails, the Bears could retain the second-team All-Pro right tackle by using the Transition or Franchise Tags starting in 2028. I don’t think it will come to that, but I do like that it is an option (even if I think the tags have limitations that hurt player movement and hinder potential long-term compensation).
But on the other hand, Poles talked about a Darnell Wright extension in a way that was similar to how he discussed a new deal for Joe Thuney last offseason. That left me feeling that a Wright deal was on the horizon. However, we’re in June, and there is still no deal. Perhaps the Bears are waiting it out until the summer. For what it’s worth, his position coach has one specific request for the starting right tackle. And I feel as if, once he checks that box, a nice payday will come his way.
© Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn ImagesExtra points
Kyle Long is joining the NFL Today pre-game show that runs before Sunday’s noon kickoff games on CBS. Long’s post-playing career media glow-up has been fun to follow. The three-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman does everything you’d want from an analyst. He is smart, informative, and entertaining. What is it about offensive linemen that makes them so well-equipped to talk ball? I look forward to seeing how his media career continues to play out. Once a Bear, always a Bear! A fun anecdote from this Courtney Cronin ESPN piece from Caleb Williams’ Madden NFL ’27 cover event as Chicago’s QB1 is trying to work out a meeting with Michael Jordan. “Williams said a meeting between himself and Jordan is ‘in the works,'” Cronin writes, “as the two have been attempting to sync up their schedules to meet for the first time.” Oh, to see an exponential jump from Caleb Williams and the Bears offense in 2026 would be delightful:Ben Johnson’s #Bears are worlds ahead of where they were last year at this time. Expect another exponential jump from Caleb Williams and the offense this season…@nflnetwork #DaBears pic.twitter.com/wNbVi8FvFy
— StaceyDales (@StaceyDales) May 29, 2026 I’m glad someone has faith that the Bears’ defensive line can turn it around in 2026. Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett hears the noise, and sounds like someone who is intent on being better in 2026 than he was in 2025.“We’ve all got cell phones and internet, so we hear it,” said Jarrett, via the Bears’ official website. “It comes with the job. At the end of the day, we’ve got to take it personal and get back to work. You’ve got to find out, ‘Where can I be better?’ All we can do as a unit is look in the mirror and challenge ourselves every day to go be better and do what we need to do to have better output.”
ESPN’s projections for Bears defensive linemen in 2026: Grady Jarrett: 50 tackles, 3.2 sacks, 766 snaps Gervon Dexter Sr.: 3.7 sacks, 44 tackles, 670 snaps Montez Sweat: 7 sacks, 52 tackles, 766 snaps Austin Booker: 6.5 sacks, 51 tackles, 734 snaps Dayo Odeyingbo: 4.2 sacks, 36 tackles, 617 snapsFIND THE BN BEARS PODCAST HERE: Apple | Spotify | YouTube
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