Bears’ Grady Jarrett and Falcons’ Gervon Dexter Sr. could play pivotal roles in Sunday’s game against their former teams
Sunday’s game between the Chicago Bears and the Atlanta Falcons will have some revenge implications with Grady Jarrett and Gervon Dexter Sr. both facing the teams that drafted them.
Sunday’s game between the Chicago Bears and the Atlanta Falcons will be a significant game between two NFC teams looking to rebound after tough losses suffered in Week 5 with both teams looking to reestablish some momentum.
The quarterback conversation has been loud and will continue to be going into this game. On Atlanta’s side, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. injured his ribs during Sunday night’s game but is expected to practice on Wednesday and aims to play against the Bears. That’s major news considering how the Falcons’ offense has looked with and without him.
As for Chicago, quarterback Caleb Williams is aiming to return after missing the last three game with a hamstring injury. Williams is expected to be a full participant in Wednesday’s walk-through, but Thursday’s availability will provide a much clearer picture. In his absence, the Bears went 2-1 with Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum at quarterback, but neither looked like inspiring options after Sunday’s brutal loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Outside of the quarterback position, there’s a fascinating revenge angle to watch this week on the interior of both defensive lines with Falcons’ defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. and Bears’ defensive tackle Grady Jarrett both facing the teams that drafted them.
Grady Jarrett isn’t leaning into the revenge angle against the Falcons
Let’s start first with Jarrett, who spent a decade in Atlanta after being selected in the fifth-round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Falcons. Jarrett put together two Pro Bowl seasons with the Falcons, and was a key piece in the team’s 2016 Super Bowl run. He played 152 games for the Falcons with 36.5 sacks during his 10 years with the team.
However, after the 2024 season, the Falcons made the decision to release the respected veteran due to his cap hit and to make way for younger players to step up. Soon after he was released, the Bears quickly swooped in with a two-year deal to add Jarrett to the defense as a veteran leader, and he quickly embraced that role earning back-to-back captain honors for Chicago’s defense.
In his first game back in Atlanta, Jarrett isn’t trying to be too sentimental, and instead is using all of his time focusing on getting Chicago’s unit back on track after a rough showing last week in Green Bay.
“Interesting week going back to Atlanta for sure,” Jarrett said. “Everybody knows what that means to me, but at the end of the day, I think the most thing I’m excited about is going out here, competing, and getting back on the right track and doing what we need to do.”
Jarrett’s leadership will be needed. The Bears enter this game without two veteran defensive linemen with Montez Sweat out due to suspension and Dayo Odeyingbo likely out due to injury.
It’s a familiar opponent for Jarrett with three of the five starting offensive linemen being players Jarrett faced every day at practice. That familiarity against the opponent will be helpful for Jarrett to share pointers and weaknesses with the younger players that will be stepping up. At the same time, the Falcons will be ID’ing Jarrett as well as a player that could present an issue against their offense, especially in the run game.
“We know that he’s coming in here ready to make an impact,” Falcons running back Bijan Robinson said. “…It’s gonna be great to go up against him for the first time. I know what kind of competitor he is.”
Gervon Dexter Sr. gets to face the Bears weeks after they shipped him out of town
As for Dexter, the Bears’ former second-round pick was traded to Atlanta prior to roster cuts back in August and it was viewed as a surprise decision. The Bears felt comfortable with the depth they had in the room and didn’t feel like Dexter was the best fit in Dennis Allen’s scheme. So, general manager Ryan Poles struck a deal with his former assistant in Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham to send Dexter to Atlanta.
“He’s a phenomenal football player. We know that about him,” Bears head coach Ben Johnson said. “(Trading him) was one of those things I think it was a win-win for both sides in terms of getting him a fresh start and going down to a really good style of defense that matches his skillset. He’s playing hard, he’s getting out of the stack, he’s chasing the ball down, which is really the MO of their entire defense.”
The change of scenery was ideal and came at the perfect time for Dexter. After making such a strong early impact with his new team, Cunningham reinforced his commitment handing Dexter a four-year, $78 million extension that the Bears simply weren’t going to pay.
“I’m happy for him and happy for his family,” Jarrett said of Dexter. “Loved my time here with him. Excited for him. Another young player that’s just going to continue to get better. Got a fresh start in Atlanta, so I couldn’t be happier for him.”
The Bears are well aware of the threat Dexter can be with his size and length in the middle of the defensive front, along with the rest of that unit that’s played among some of the top disruptive defensive lines in the league.
“These guys fly around to another level,” Johnson added. “Across the board. The D-line, the linebackers and the secondary, and that’s a credit to coach Ulbrich and the culture he’s created on that side of the ball. I mean, they’re all over the place. They’re punching at the ball continually. Their play style is really what stands out the most on tape at this point of the week.”
Dexter will certainly be a player to watch out for as he’ll be looking to show the Bears what they’re missing after shipping him out of town for little in return.
