Just ahead of a game that would help determine control of the NFC, the Chicago Bears were forced to readjust on the fly when their top nickel corner, Kyler Gordon, suffered a groin injury during warmups.
Gordon suffered the setback while warming up pregame, forcing defensive coordinator Dennis Allen to change his game plan against the Green Bay Packers. The Bears ultimately lost, 28-21, and according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, “there’s probably a good chance the Bears can’t count on Kyler Gordon again this season.”
C.J. Gardner-Johnson will likely take an even larger role in the slot with Gordon out, but it’s a crucial loss at a pivotal time for the Bears, who just inked Gordon to an extension last offseason.
Thus, what happens this coming offseason will be incredibly important for both the team and its top slot cornerback.
Will Chicago Bears CB Kyler Gordon Play Again in 2025?
GettyWill CB Kyler Gordon of the Chicago Bears play again in 2025?
Last spring, Chicago signed Gordon to a three-year, $40 million extension that made him the NFL’s highest-paid slot cornerback and tied him to the team through 2028.
New DC Allen raved early about Gordon, and it was clear he had a vision to move the young DB around the defense as a true chess piece. Unfortunately, that hasn’t worked out. Instead, Allen has spent much of his first year in Chicago trying to scheme around Gordon’s absence.
“He has been on the field for 117 snaps after the organization made him the highest-paid slot cornerback in the league,” Biggs wrote about Gordon, adding: “When I talked to Gordon last week after the game in Philadelphia, he was adamant that he had worked diligently in the offseason, harder than in previous years, but not to the point his body was worn down.”
Gordon, 25, dealt with a hamstring issue over the preseason that lingered long enough for the Bears to open the year with him on injured reserve, costing him the first four games.
He returned for a brief two-game stretch against Washington and New Orleans, then landed back on IR October 25 with groin and calf injuries. Chicago designated him for return and activated him on November 27, easing him back on a snap count in the Black Friday win over the Eagles. But after his early exit in Green Bay, Biggs isn’t sure Gordon will see the field again this season.
“It’s hard to see the Bears counting on him now,” Biggs noted. “Maybe this latest injury is minor, but he has had a three-pack of soft-tissue injuries that he simply cannot shake. I’d bet top dollar there will be a meeting at the end of the season involving Gordon, strength staff members, athletic trainers, general manager Ryan Poles, probably secondary coach Al Harris and maybe others. They have to map out a plan for Gordon in the offseason.”
Bears Coaching Staff Hasn’t Seen Gordon Much at All
First-year head coach Ben Johnson has publicly acknowledged his frustration with the starts and stops of Gordon’s year, saying he still doesn’t feel like he truly knows the young corner because he’s been out so much.
A former second-round pick in 2022, he had strong seasons in 2023 and 2024, including a 2024 campaign with 75 tackles, (four for loss), five passes defensed, a forced fumble and two quarterback hits.
His 2025 stat line couldn’t look more different. Between his hamstring, calf and groin issues, Gordon has appeared in only three games, with five total tackles and one sack.
His extension includes more than $31 million in guarantees, with his 2025 and 2026 base salaries fully guaranteed and a $10 million signing bonus already on the books. Thus, he’s not going anywhere.
It’s putting it mildly to suggest that his 2026 campaign will be huge for him and his future with the Bears.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Top Bears Insider Gives Brutal Kyler Gordon Update Ahead of Crucial Stretch appeared first on Heavy Sports.