Bear Digest

What Kyler Gordon's return to IR means for Bears

Kyler Gordon's second trip to IR leaves the Bears with more questions than answers.
Pete Martuneac|
Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears will be without star slot cornerback Kyler Gordon for the remainder of the regular season, though he could be back for the playoffs if the Bears qualify. According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the Bears have placed Gordon on injured reserve for the second time this season, sidelining him for a minimum of four games.

Gordon was a surprise scratch for last week's game against the Green Bay Packers after hurting himself during pregame warmups, and now Chicago's defense will have to make do without him for the foreseeable future. Luckily for Chicago, general manager Ryan Poles had the foresight to sign veteran defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson back in October, during Gordon's first stint on IR.

In the short term, Gardner-Johnson can fill in at slot cornerback, which is where he feels he plays his best football, and he's been good for Chicago thus far, recording three sacks and an interception in six games. But the Bears now have to do some serious thinking about Gordon's role with the team in January and beyond.

The best ability is availability

Earlier this offseason, the Bears signed Kyler Gordon to a market-setting contract extension: a three-year, $40 million contract, the highest ever paid to a slot cornerback. That's not exactly quarterback money, but it's still a significant salary cap hit for a player who has never played a full season. Gordon, when healthy, is one of the best in the business at his position, but that doesn't do the Bears any good when he spends nearly the entire season on the bench.

And even when he does come back, can the Bears afford to plug him back into the lineup? If he's able to play again, that means the Bears will be in the postseason. At that point, continuity might trump talent. Gordon may be better than Gardner-Johnson, but defensive coordinator Dennis Allen may prefer to stick with the guy who's been playing since October.

That brings us to the offseason. If Chicago continues to get starter-level play from Gardner-Johnson, do you sign him to a reasonably cheap two-year deal and try to trade Gordon? That roughly $13 million per year salary cap hit could go a long way for a team that's already tight against the cap for next year.

That's not a decision that should be made lightly, but at this point it needs to be considered.

Kyler Gordo
Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

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Pete Martuneac
PETE MARTUNEAC

A former Marine and Purdue Boilermaker, Pete has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2022 as a senior contributor on BearsTalk. He lives with his wife, two kids and loyal dog.

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