Dennis Allen hinted Kyler Gordon will play against Packers

The Bears’ defensive coordinator said he expects Gordon to be part of the game plan against Green Bay.

Nov 24, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon (6) celebrates a defensive stop on 4th down against the Minnesota Vikings during the fourth quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images | Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bears still have to get through their abbreviated week of practice to know for sure, but all the internal vibes seem to suggest one of their most important defensive players will be back on the field Saturday when the Bears take on the Green Bay Packers.

When asked on Wednesday about the status of talented slot cornerback Kyler Gordon, Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen stopped short of promising anything for certain regarding Gordon’s availability. But his response to a question about Gordon said plenty.

"Our plan is to have him be a part of it (the game plan vs. Green Bay),” Allen told reporters, according to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin.

Today is Kyler Gordon's first day on the practice field since prior to Week 14 (he injured his groin vs. Green Bay) and an important day to see how he's moving around for the coaching/training staff to see how effective he could be on Saturday.

What would it mean to have him… https://t.co/alIQNPXYQB

— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) January 7, 2026

Please, let this be true.

Gordon, who has only played three games this season for the Bears due to a myriad of injuries, just had his 21-day practice window to return from injured reserve activated on Tuesday, having been out since the first Packers matchup in Week 14. Rather than shut him down a few weeks, as they subsequently did with Rome Odunze, they opted to put him on IR as a precaution to rest him up for the playoffs. (It’s also worth noting the Bears could only activate two players from injured reserve going into the playoffs, so adding Odunze to the list would’ve prohibited Chicago from activating both Gordon and now-backup tackle Braxton Jones).

Now, he’s hopefully back and ready to go for a secondary that badly needs the help with C.J. Gardner-Johnson likely about to sit out with a concussion, and the interior cornerback play generally suffering over the past few weeks.

No doubt, the Packers will want to test Gordon’s readiness to handle receivers in the slot after abusing Bears slot corners in their first two matchups this year. The difference: Gordon, when healthy, is a far better player than either Gardner-Johnson or Nick McCloud, who is mainly a special-teamer in addition to being a backup corner.

In yesterday’s projected walk-through injury report, Gordon was listed as limited with a hamstring injury. One wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case again today. But it certainly sounds like Gordon will give it a go if he’s at all capable of playing. And that’s better than nothing for the Bears, with their season on the line.

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