The Chicago Bears haven’t exactly tried to hide their feelings about the Kyler Gordon situation. They watched the cornerback miss 14 games last season. It’d be one thing if this were due to a bad knee injury, a broken bone, or a torn Achilles tendon. What made it so frustrating was that it all stemmed from soft-tissue injuries. One such setback can be excused. Three or four? That suggests a serious issue with the player’s conditioning. They aren’t doing everything necessary to prevent such problems.
It would explain why head coach Ben Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles barely hid their frustration with Gordon. They expected him to be ready for training camp after months of healing his body. Instead, he missed all of OTAs and minicamps and has now missed the first week of camp. Johnson plainly stated that there is no update on his current status.
Well, Gordon himself decided to break the silence. While signing autographs for fans during Thursday’s practice, he was asked about his situation. Based on his reply, it sounds like he believes he will be ready by next week.
Kyler Gordon won’t be getting a warm welcome.
The Bears are past that point. They’re tired of waiting for him to finally get himself right. Smart money says if he hadn’t received that contract extension last year, there is a strong possibility the team would’ve let him walk after the 2025 season. The guaranteed money he’s owed, and the cap penalties they would incur, are the only things preventing the Bears from cutting him. His lone saving grace at the moment is that injuries elsewhere have largely kept someone from stealing his job while he has been out.
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Safety Coby Bryant suffered a knee injury that should keep him out for two months. This necessitated Cam Lewis moving to that safety spot. Before that, he’d been the one taking most of the starter reps at nickel corner. That means Kyler Gordon only has to worry about rookie Malik Muhammad at the moment. Presuming he is telling the truth and he returns next week, it is likely the job will remain his. The timing is certainly crucial. The Bears’ first preseason game is on August 15th against Cleveland.
Gordon faces a do-or-die 2026 season.
That may sound crazy considering his contract situation, but the Bears seem to be at the end of their patience. They paid him the kind of money befitting a core member of the defense. You can’t be that if you’re constantly on the sideline dealing with something. If Gordon goes through another year missing half the season, you can bet the team will eat his dead money and cut him with a post-June 1st designation. Either that or they somehow get somebody to trade for him, which is unlikely.
The point is that Gordon has lost the benefit of the doubt. Nobody in that locker room trusts him anymore. It isn’t because he is a bad teammate or doesn’t work hard. They just don’t believe he’s tough or durable enough to stay on the field. If there is anybody on that defense who is fighting for his job, it is him. It is amazing to think things have gotten to this point in barely a year. The NFL can be a cruel mistress sometimes.
