Last off-season, GM Ryan Poles focused on making sure the Chicago Bears worked out a contract extension with star cornerback Jaylon Johnson. It took longer than anticipated, but the finish line was eventually reached. Johnson was locked up on a new four-year deal. This off-season is somewhat of a mystery. Chicago has multiple players who are reaching the point where their rookie contracts are set to expire. Will any of them secure an extension this spring?
Bill Zimmerman of Windy City Gridiron spoke up on this subject on Thursday. His best understanding is that one player will likely get a new deal. That is cornerback Kyler Gordon.
Zimmerman wasn’t alone in his statement. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune backed him up in his latest column, published on Friday. There isn’t as much urgency as with Johnson, but the expectations are that it can and probably will get done at some point soon.
He had to use the franchise tag as a means toward hammering out a four-year, $76 million extension with cornerback Jaylon Johnson. While there isn’t the same kind of urgency in terms of a timeline to pay nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon, don’t be surprised if the Bears work on a new contract for Gordon this offseason.
The Chicago Bears’ stance with Gordon is hardly shocking.
In just three years, the former 2nd round pick has become one of the NFL’s best nickel cornerbacks. His versatility is outstanding. He plays the run well, has standout capability as a blitzer, and has become such a danger in coverage that opposing quarterbacks have almost stopped throwing in his direction. If not for some injury setbacks at times, he would be in line to challenge for the highest-paid player at this position. It is a safe assumption he will command at least $10 million per year and probably more.
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As for Braxton Jones and Jaquan Brisker, they are tougher cases. Jones has been a dependable left tackle for stretches over the past three years. Unfortunately, he still has certain weaknesses in his game and was undercut further by multiple injury issues in 2024. Brisker would’ve been an obvious extension option before a concussion basically knocked him out for the season after five games. The Chicago Bears will likely let them both play the final years of their rookie deals. If they excel in 2025, extension conversations can happen then.
