The Bears’ Kyler Gordon Conundrum Looks Eerily Similar to Another Situation From 2016

The seemingly never-ending Kyler Gordon saga took another turn when Ryan Poles spoke to the media Tuesday afternoon.

"I think when people come back from injuries, there's different things that happen," Poles said. "Sometimes they return fast, and sometimes it's slow, so it's really a timing thing, and a healing thing, and a confidence thing."

He also added, "Anytime you have an injury and you're coming back from something, there's discomfort that you have to push through. We haven't been able to get over that hump, and we're not progressing as fast as we'd like."

Understandably, many interpreted his comments as a swipe at Gordon's toughness. Bears' head coach Ben Johnson has also been extremely short whenever he's been asked for an update on the nickelback's status.

Ben Johnson on injured #Bears CB Kyler Gordon... pic.twitter.com/h0VdNqJM7x
— Aldo Gandia (@BearsBarroomHQ) August 18, 2026

There's no way around it at this point; the entire situation is a rough look for Gordon, who will start the season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. Nobody knows exactly what the cover man is going through, but that fact alone makes it difficult to give him the benefit of the doubt.

As does the fact that 6'8", 315 lb. Ozzy Trapilo is already back on the field seven months after rupturing his Patellar tendon. Dayo Odeyingbo was on the field at OTAs seven months after tearing his Achilles. Yet Gordon is still on the mend from a moderate hamstring or calf injury (because we still don't even know) that he suffered last season?

This wouldn't be the first time that a Bears cover man has come under fire for their toughness. In fact, they experienced an eerily similar situation with cornerback Kyle Fuller a decade ago.

Kyle Fuller warming up — Jan 3, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears cornerback Kyle Fuller (23) warms up before the Chicago Bears game against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Frustrations began when Fuller was sidelined for much of training camp with a knee injury ahead of the 2016 campaign. He eventually underwent knee surgery shortly before the season, and questions arose as to why he didn't get the operation done in the offseason.

He later returned to practice around Thanksgiving, but remained on Injured Reserve through the end of the season. Emotions were already high, and they began to boil over late in the season when defensive coordinator Vic Fangio called him out when speaking to reporters.

"Any time a guy's hurt, there's three stages to getting back to the field," Fangio said. "One is you've got to get medical clearance. Two, the player's got to say he's ready to go and feels confident and he's chomping at the bit to go play. And then the coaches get involved and see if he's better than what the other choices are and if he really is back to being able to play. A has happened. B hasn't, so C is a non-issue."

Fuller later pushed back on Fangio's comments, saying that he had been in communication with the team. He also said that he never felt healthy enough to be on the field. The writing appeared to be on the wall at that point... they were seemingly headed for a divorce.

Fuller was on the roster bubble heading into 2017

Kyle Fuller on the field — Dec 10, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Chicago Bears cornerback Kyle Fuller (23) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Unlike Gordon, Fuller still had yet to play out the final year of his rookie contract. It was unclear whether he'd ever even play another meaningful snap for Chicago, though. The team declined his fifth-year option, and he was subjected to trade speculation throughout the offseason.

Notably, he was also firmly on the roster bubble heading into training camp. However, Fuller managed to stick around following a strong preseason performance. He was named the team's third cornerback (behind free agent acquisitions Prince Amukamara and Marcus Cooper) to start the season, and it wasn't long before he regained the top spot on the depth chart.

Fuller responded extremely well to Fangio's criticism. He enjoyed a bounce-back season in 2017, and followed it up with the best performance of his career in the team's iconic 2018 campaign. Notably, he never missed another game during the remainder of his career in Chicago. He emphatically quelled any concerns surrounding his toughness.

Can Gordon follow in Fuller's footsteps?

Kyler Gordon walking to the field — Jan 10, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon (6) takes the field prior to an NFC Wild Card Round game against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Aside from the fact that Fuller had yet to get paid when his durability came into question, the main difference between the two situations is that 2016 represented the only season Fuller got bit by the injury bug.

Meanwhile, Gordon has endured a litany of soft tissue injuries throughout his entire career. He's unfortunately earned an "injury-prone" tag after missing multiple games in each of his three seasons before the bottom fell out last year.

With that said, like Fuller, there's no denying his impact when healthy. We saw that in the Divisional Round against the Rams. He was making plays all over the field. Now it'll be up to him to respond to Poles' veiled comments and show that he can stay healthy. In this case, show that he can get healthy.

Kyler Gordon sacking Matt Stafford — Jan 18, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon (6) sacks Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) during the second quarter of an NFC Divisional Round game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The sky above Gordon is definitely falling at this point. It's reaching DEFCON 5-level intensity, with the team seemingly already planning for life without him and fans calling for his head. However, he's still only 26. He's still got quite a long runway to play some good football.

All (or at least most) will be forgiven if he bounces back strong after a short stint on the PUP list and returns to Pro Bowl-caliber form. He'll be eligible to return for the team's Week 5 matchup against Green Bay (which magnifies the importance of getting him back).

If he stays on the mend for the entire year, or most of it, then he's all but certainly entering his last season in the Windy City. The best ability is availability. Kyle Fuller proved he could check that box. Now it'll be Gordon's turn to do the same.

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