The Atlanta Falcons sent some shockwaves across football this week when they handed out a very large contract extension to a defensive linemen who has been with the team for just three games.

Gervon Dexter Jr., who Atlanta acquired late in training camp from the Chicago Bears, was handed a four-year, $78 million deal to keep him with the Falcons for the foreseeable future. While he certainly has been impressive over the first three games of the year, the number on the deal -- which included nearly $50 million guaranteed -- had some fans giving pause.

General manager Ian Cunningham laid it out very clearly why the team felt comfortable giving Dexter this contract.

"Gervon is a young, ascending talent whose power, disruption and impact along the defensive line are difficult to find," Cunningham said in the team's announcement of the deal. "What's been just as impressive is the growth he's shown off the field as a man and a father. His passion for the game and commitment to his teammates are qualities we value highly, and we're excited to keep him as an important part of our defense moving forward. I also want to thank Drew and Jason Rosenhaus for their communication and partnership throughout this process."

Clearly, the organization has a whole lot of belief in what he brings to the table both on the field and in the locker room, and this tracks with the amount of cash they were willing to hand him to guarantee he sticks around beyond 2026.

During the victory over the Green Bay Packers, Dexter had five pressures on 27 pass rushes and has been a huge part of a Falcons defensive front which ranks top-three in football in quarterback pressure rate (41.6%) while also blitzing at one of the lowest rates in football.

Dexter is not great when it comes to stopping the run, but his impact on passing downs has been so significant to this point that they felt he was worth paying a premium for.

Now, he will have to live up to the contract and be able to prove to the team that it was the right move, but it seems obvious the Falcons did not hesitate when they had the chance to keep Dexter around. Clearly, he wanted to be in Atlanta and felt comfortable signing on to stay for the future.

The two sides have now made a commitment to each other, and time will tell for both if it was the right move and one that benefits the Falcons organization for the future. Clearly, Cunningham feels it will.