When Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon is healthy, he’s one of the best nickels in the NFL on top of elevating the defense. But the problem is he can’t seem to stay healthy. In four years, Gordon has yet to play a full season, due to injury, and his absence in 2025 was noticeable.
Gordon missed 14 games and had two stints on injured reserve last season amid a slew of soft tissue issues including groin, hamstring and calf injuries. There was a report that he’s been dealing with another soft tissue injury, and he’s been limited during OTAs. It’s not what you want to hear from your young cornerback, who signed a three-year, $40 million contract extension back in April 2025.
In fact, listening to head coach Ben Johnson talk about Gordon is quite telling, and there’s an obvious frustration level there given his lack of availability, which ultimately hurt the defense.
“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. So this spring was going to be a springboard for us to get going the right direction and we’re still working through that. We’re still trying to get that availability piece going. We know he is a good player when he is out there, but trust level’s a huge thing for this team, for this coaching staff, for the locker room. You can only develop that trust by being available.”
When defensive coordinator Dennis Allen was first hired, he specifically mentioned Gordon as someone he was excited to utilize in his scheme. But after appearing in just three regular-season games, that vision was never realized. The hope is Gordon can finally find a way to stay on the field and help elevate this Bears defense.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Ben Johnson had telling comments about Bears CB Kyler Gordon
Reporting by Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire | USA TODAY Network
