The Bears Aren't Afforded the Luxury of Slow-Playing Kyler Gordon's Return

Kyler Gordon is one of the Chicago Bears' most polarizing players. There's no denying his impact when he's on the field. The star nickelback is one of their best defenders.i

However, concerns over his health have persisted throughout his career. He's never been able to stay healthy, and those issues became especially glaring last season. Unfortunately, they've also bled into the 2026 campaign.

Bears head coach Ben Johnson has been notably mum when asked about Gordon (and he's been asked about him a lot).

Understandably, he expected Gordon to be fully healed from the hamstring injury that plagued him last season. Nevertheless, that somehow wasn't the case, as Gordon was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list at the start of training camp.

Some even began questioning whether the 26-year-old played his last snap for Chicago. The best ability is availability, and that also happens to be the only one Gordon doesn't possess.

With that said, the team opened up his 21-day practice window on October 1. He will officially have until next Thursday to be added to the active roster, or he'd be forced to miss the entire season. With him consistently practicing in full since returning to the (practice) field, there's little doubt whether he'll see the field for Chicago this season.

However, Johnson and Co. have emphasized the importance of trust with Gordon. That has led many to question what his role will be when he does finally return to the lineup.

Their hands are officially tied, though. Tyrique Stevenson and Jaylon Johnson's play has given them no choice.

Kyler Gordon will play a huge role for Chicago

The Bears' defense has had a few Jekyll and Hyde performances thus far. They haven't had any mid-tier performances. They've either been horrible (as they were against Green Bay and Carolina) or great (as they were in the other three contests).

However, Stevenson and Johnson have unfortunately been consistently bad. They've strung together multiple poor performances to begin the season, and some have even questioned whether the latter should be benched. The two-time Pro Bowler has looked a step slow in coverage all season and has allowed 83.3% of passes thrown his way to be completed this season.

While Gordon's presence might not be enough to outright bench Johnson, it would give them some stability on the back end. The Bears have struggled mightily at defending hyper-athletic pass-catchers this season. While Gordon might not have elite top-end speed, his short-area quickness is unmatched in Chicago's cornerback room.

It's still unclear whether Chicago will activate Gordon ahead of their Week 6 matchup against Atlanta. If Michael Penix Jr. doesn't play, they conceivably might wait until their Week 7 game against New England. However, he'll surely play a big role as soon as he's ready to go.

The Bears desperately need a spark in the secondary, and, if he stays healthy, the star nickelback is the perfect man to provide it. He has a chance to reclaim his status as one of the league's premier slot cover men if he can make the most of the opportunity.