Why Ben Johnson Just Put Kyler Gordon On Notice Ahead Of A Critical Season

One thing we’ve learned about Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson since he took over is that his capacity for patience is limited. This is not someone who will give you a long grace period if you’re not meeting his standards. A perfect example of that last season was how often he changed left tackles. Braxton Jones and Theo Benedet were both benched. Then, after Ozzy Trapilo injured his knee, he chose to shift Joe Thuney to that spot rather than reinsert either of them. Once he’s lost faith in you, it’s really hard to regain it. That is why cornerback Kyler Gordon might be in big trouble.

Nobody argued that he was worth keeping when the Bears extended him. His value as a nickel cornerback was obvious every time he was on the field. Yet even then, it was clear they were taking a risk. Gordon was developing a reputation for health issues, having missed multiple games every season. Last season was pretty much the worst-case scenario, as Gordon played in only three games all year due to various injuries. Johnson made it crystal clear that he’d better find a way to stay healthy this season.

“We spoke last year and neither one of us were really happy with how it went just from a perspective of being available to get to know each other. I think he only played in three games when I look back at it, and so, you know, this spring was going to be a springboard for us to get going in the right direction. We’re still working through that. We’re still trying to get that availability piece going. We know he’s a good player when he’s out there but trust level is a huge thing for this team, for this coaching staff, for the locker room and you can only develop that trust by being available.”

Kyler Gordon isn’t just struck by bad luck.

There is something deeper going on. It’d be one thing if concussions, bone breaks, or ligament injuries were the problem. Those are things a player can’t really control. With Gordon, it’s different. Most of his problems have been soft-tissue in nature: hamstrings, groin, and calves. With today’s modern sports medicine, problems like that almost never happen unless there is a serious flaw in a player’s preparation and conditioning. Either Gordon is getting really bad advice on that front, or he’s not putting in the necessary work.

If it’s the latter, then it’s not hard to see why Johnson would be frustrated. Gordon already arrived at OTAs hurt. He hasn’t practiced yet. That is liable to drive the head coach insane after what happened last season. It further justifies the team’s decision to draft Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad in the 4th round. He should help serve as an insurance policy. If this continues, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Bears just decided to bring in some veteran help as well.

Gordon has nobody to blame but himself.

He can be forgiven for missing time with concussion issues. Everything else was preventable. Most of his teammates didn’t suffer nearly the same problems. That either means his muscles are made of weak tissue paper, which is unlikely for a world-class athlete, or he’s done a poor job of preparing his body. Either way, he’s been put on notice. Johnson doesn’t care what kind of money he is being paid. If Kyler Gordon can’t put together a full season in 2026, there is a strong probability he won’t be in the starting lineup moving forward.

The best ability is availability. That is true for any sport, but especially the NFL. Everybody gets hurt. It is the nature of playing a violent game. It comes down to who can withstand the pain and play through it. From what we’ve seen of Gordon to this point, he can’t step on the field unless he’s pain-free. Other coaches might be willing to accept that. Johnson does not. His clear threat wasn’t meant to be subtle. Either get with the program or stay healthy on the bench.