It feels like just one year ago Chicago Bears fans were excited to see cornerback Kyler Gordon take the field for them, but things are different 365 days later.
The road for Gordon has been rough of late with last season being arguably his worst, dealing with a soft-tissue injury that cost him all but three games. That injury has not gone away in the offseason, as he did not workout once during the three-week OTAs.
Now there are so many questions entering training camp for the young defensive back that his head coach, Ben Johnson, doesn't even trust him. This could end up not going well for the Bears in 2026.
Kyler Gordon could end up hurting this team more in 2026 than last season
Gordon was the Bears' second-round pick in 2022 and played well in the slot. He caught five interceptions in his first two seasons with the franchise, adding a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, playing in 27 games.
2024 did not feature a single interception by Gordon, but he was maturing as a pass coverage corner, allowing a career-low 73.2% completion percentage and recovering a career-high three fumbles. He also posted career highs in tackles (75), tackles for loss (four), and quarterback hits (two).
It all felt like the 2025 season was going to be the year that it would all come together. The Bears believed it too after giving him a three-year, $40 million contract extension last offseason.
That went in the opposite direction, thanks to a soft-tissue injury that derailed all of Gordon's momentum. He played in three games, racking up seven tackles, one tackle for loss, one quarterback hit, one sack, and one fumble recovery.
Now entering training camp, no one knows if Gordon will even be ready to take the practice field. The nickel position could go to special teams ace Josh Blackwell, or rookie fourth-round pick Malik Muhammad might have to move from CB2 to the slot to help out.
Even if Gordon were somehow healthy enough and got to play in 2026, can Bears fans even trust that he can play? He's allowed a 70% or higher completion percentage in every season in coverage, and while he's a great tackle, there is something left to be desired in coverage. The other part is: can the fan base and the team even trust him to stay healthy anymore after this injury?
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Many concerns and questions will be addressed in the next few months with Gordon, but 2026 feels like a defining season in his career. The trust has been broken, with some believing he might not even be good for the team at this point. Stepping on the field for training camp would be a good first step to silencing those doubts.
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