Bear Digest

Kyler Gordon's return likely and the Bears will need him Saturday

Bears injury report: Although Kyler Gordon is deemed questionable, he's trending toward a return but there is reason for concern at the position.
Gene Chamberlain|
Kyler Gordon is questionable for the playoff game but has had a full practice.
Kyler Gordon is questionable for the playoff game but has had a full practice. | Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The Bears have to hope Kyler Gordon's injured groin holds up Saturday night because they'll be thin at the position.

Their slot cornerback is questionable to play due to his groin injury, but he did go through a full practice on Thursday and that means he's trending positive for the game. He is still on IR and needs to be removed prior to the game.

However, the player who took over while he was gone, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, has been ruled out for the playoff game with a concussion suffered last week against Detroit. He's still in the NFL concussion protocol and is one of three Bears with concussions.

Their other backup slot is Nick McCloud, who will be available this week after missing the last two games due to illness. McCloud was at practice this week and has been cleared.

The other players ruled out are defensive end Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga. Both are in concussion protocol.

Ogbongbemiga is a valued special teams player and the Bears opted to address this by signing back linebacker Jalen Reves-Maybin to their practice squad. He had been with them earlier this season but was released. It seems likely they would elevate him from the practice squad for the game to use on special teams. They opened up a spot by putting linebacker Ty Summers on practice squad injured reserve, after an injury in last week's game.

Gordon's return, provided he's 100% and not limping, means their coverage in the slot should be greatly improved. C.J. Gardner-Johnson was a good blitzer in the slot, as Gordon is. However, he allowed three touchdown passes in 10 games and Pro Football Focus has him graded 87th out of 98 for coverage at his position.

The other Bears injury situation is finished, and that's wide receiver Rome Odunze. He also went through a full practice and was cleared from the injury report after being out five straight games with a foot injury.

Odunze had made it apparent on Wednesday he would be playing but said it's possible he'd have a restriction, possibly a play count.

The only other name on the injury report for the Bears going into Saturday is backup left tackle Braxton Jones, who is still officially on injured reserve, would need to be taken off of it if they plan to have him available in a backup role. He may not be needed now as left tackle Ozzy Trapilo is no longer on the injury report. His designation was removed Thursday after a full practice. He had missed the Lions game with a quad injury.

A positive development for the Bears was the removal of DJ Moore from the injury report, as well. Moore had knee soreness and was limited in practice Thursday but went through a full practice Friday.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.