The Chicago Bears made the controversial decision to trade Gervon Dexter this offseason. They knew his contract was coming up, and it sounds like the coaching staff didn’t want to make him a permanent fixture up front. So they flipped him to the Atlanta Falcons for a 5th round pick and cornerback Clark Phillips. It made some sense. The Bears needed some extra draft capital and also lacked depth in the secondary. Phillips showed a lot of promise at times for the Falcons, but lost standing after the latest coaching change.
One would think he’d have seen the field by now. He’s been with the team long enough to have a decent understanding of the system. However, the Bears are entering week 6, and Phillips has yet to log a single defensive snap. His only work has come on special teams, both on coverage and return units. This is a somewhat odd decision, since Phillips was never known for his special-teams prowess in Atlanta. Why haven’t the Bears allowed him to play his actual position?
Bears snap counts from Sunday’s loss pic.twitter.com/A090GqNIKE
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) October 12, 2026
Clark Phillips can’t be worse than what the Bears got Sunday.
Jaylon Johnson had one of his worst games in years, furthering what has been a deeply underwhelming season for the former Pro Bowler. Tyrique Stevenson once again left the game with a hamstring issue, and rookie Malik Muhammad struggled as well. One would think the circumstances were favorable for Phillips to get at least a little bit of work. Yet still nothing. It raises a fair question. Why in the world did the Bears trade for him if they had no intention of actually putting him on the field, even in a limited capacity?
The only explanation that makes any sense is that defensive coordinator Dennis Allen doesn’t think he’s ready. Remember, he said that learning this scheme is challenging. It is complex. That is partly why players looked somewhat lost at times last season. Clark Phillips arrived right before the season, without the benefit of training camp to get up to speed. It wouldn’t do him or the Bears any good to just throw him out there. Still, it’s been over a month. He has had enough time to absorb the playbook.
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The Bears may have no choice now.
If Stevenson misses Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons, the team must look to their reserves for help. Phillips knows that team better than anyone on the roster. If anybody understands how to play against those wide receivers, it’d be him. After all, he did so for years in every practice. There is still no guarantee that Kyler Gordon will be activated this week. If not, the list of options other than Phillips is far from ideal. Whether Allen thinks he’s ready or not won’t matter. They need healthy bodies.
The Bears can’t know what they have until they give Phillips a shot. Leaving him on the bench isn’t doing their public image any favors. Chicago sold the cornerback as a key part of that Dexter trade. Somebody their pro scouts liked. To do that and then not use him is a really bad look. Dexter’s standout play in Atlanta isn’t helping matters. Either let the cornerback play or just cut him already.
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