Not long after Ben Johnson arrived as the Chicago Bears' head coach, cornerback Kyler Gordon got a three-year, $40 million contract extension that made him the highest-paid slot corner in the NFL. He also played a total of five games last season, including the playoffs, due to a litany of lower-body injuries.
Back in June, Johnson openly expressed some broad-based frustration about simply not being able to get to know Gordon yet. The hope that OTAs would change that equation did not come to fruition, with the veteran cornerback hardly participating.
As training camp started, general manager Ryan Poles confirmed Gordon is dealing with a calf injury and joined Johnson in expressing overall frustration with the situation. No timeline for practice participation could be given, and in his own camp-opening comments, Johnson revealed his message for Gordon.
"Get healthy."
Ben Johnson's patience is running thin with Kyler Gordon's situation with Bears
If an injured player is somewhere close to being able to practice during training camp, they are often spotted working with a trainer or doing other light work outside the typical full-team session.
On Tuesday, Bears analyst Ben Devine highlighted how there had been no such signs of Gordon up to that point in camp. Wednesday's lighter day of practice work did not change that.
Players close to returning from injury are usually seen working out on the sideline or in warm-ups or just watching training camp. Kyler Gordon has been completely absent. That’s concerning. #DaBears
— Ben Devine (@Chicago_NFL) August 4, 2026
It's easy to assume Gordon has suffered some kind of setback in his rehab. But the benefit of the doubt makes that unclear, since there is no requirement for teams to provide any specific details about injuries until training camp starts.
At minimum, it seems Gordon is not making much, or any, progress toward being able to practice. At a certain point, which will be here before we know it, his ability to come off the PUP list and when (or if?) he will be able to play this season will become legitimate questions.
Asked about Gordon ahead of Thursday's practice, the eighth of Bears' training camp, with the intensity ramping up notably, Johnson still had little to say. At the same time, once again, he said it all with his brevity.
"There's no update, he's continuing to rehab", Johnson said, via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
Read more: Bears coach firmly confirms Ben Johnson's mindset entering 2026
It's possible Johnson is being secretive, as a coach would naturally tend to be regarding injuries, and Gordon may actually be nearing a return to action. But it feels more likely there's actually nothing to say, and Johnson is at the point he won't waste words until there is something substantial to report, one way (good) or the other (bad).
Add us as a preferred source on Google