Kyler Gordon was viewed as a core piece of the Chicago Bears‘ retooling defense when they drafted him in 2022. His mix of quickness, speed, and tackling prowess made for a perfect nickel cornerback. For three seasons, he played like that guy. When he was on the field, he had a case as one of the two or three best at his position in the league. That is why the Bears felt comfortable handing him a contract extension last offseason. He’d earned it, and there were no glaring signs that it was a bad investment.
It is amazing how fast things go downhill. In barely a calendar year, Gordon has seen all of that goodwill flushed down the drain. He missed 14 games last season. It’d be one thing if it were because of a broken bone or torn ligaments. What made it so frustrating was that it was soft-tissue injuries. These are not supposed to be a persistent issue for players. Not those who are well-conditioned, anyway. Even worse, he hasn’t practiced at all this year. Training camp is half over, and there is no indication that he is nearing a return. From what Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune just reported, sympathy dried up at Halas Hall a long time ago.
At this point, it’s fair to question if Gordon’s commitment to getting back on the field has been at an appropriate level. That’s not exclusive to the last three weeks. It’s confounding that he was sidelined through the offseason program after missing 14 regular-season games last year (as well as the 2025 preseason), and yet he remains on PUP.
Everyone in the building is tiptoeing around the subject. You have a better chance of getting straight answers about the stadium situation than about Gordon’s status these days, and you probably heard how that went Thursday.
Kyler Gordon may no longer have a job waiting for him.
Truth be told, he should count himself lucky. There is a very real possibility that head coach Ben Johnson would’ve cut him already had he not signed that extension last summer. As things stand, the Bears are stuck with him for this season. That doesn’t mean they have to play him, though. Gordon did little last season, even when he was on the field. While he’s been meandering in the training room for months, other players have put in the work to grab that nickel cornerback job.
You can start with veteran Cam Lewis, who played that spot in Buffalo. If he is forced to play safety instead, the Bears still have 4th round pick Malik Muhammad and recent free agent addition Beanie Bishop. Both had encouraging performances in the preseason opener. Both have much better track records of health. The Bears may prefer to give them the opportunities rather than keep the seat warm for Kyler Gordon. Big contract or not, he isn’t helping the team. There comes a time when you must let availability dictate your decisions.
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This situation is sad, more than anything.
Gordon has all the ability in the world. He should be a Pro Bowler. Instead, it’s hard not to feel like he decided he was satisfied after getting his big payday. There are many cases of this happening in NFL history. Some players remain so focused and motivated early in their careers. Yet once they get that massive new contract, that drive seems to leave them. They’re set for life financially. Why keep working hard? You saw it happen with Albert Haynesworth several years ago in Washington. You don’t want to put Gordon in that category, but he’s not making it easy.
Johnson already sounds done with him. General manager Ryan Poles doesn’t sound far behind. When you lose the faith of the two biggest decision-makers in the organization, you’re pretty much screwed. Gordon will probably return at some point. He almost has to if he wants to keep getting those checks. Unfortunately, he may find nothing waiting for him but the bench.
