Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has maintained a consistent tone when discussing cornerback Kyler Gordon and his injury timeline. With Gordon back on the practice field, Johnson has started to shift his mentality on the Bears' nickelback.
The last time Ben Johnson talked about Kyler Gordon before Friday, the Bears' head coach had just six words to say about the team's nickel cornerback.
Defensive lineman Shemar Turner and linebacker Noah Sewell had their 21-day practice windows opened after being on the PUP list on Sept. 23. Johnson was asked if there were any encouraging signs with Gordon in the last few weeks.
"I've got nothing to add there," Johnson said.
After opening his 21-day window to return from the PUP list on Wednesday, Gordon was a full participant in the team's walkthrough. He followed that up with another full session on Thursday.
Johnson was asked about getting the veteran defensive back up to speed before Friday's practice.
“We had extended practice (with Gordon) on Wednesday, got some of these guys on PUP and some of the young guys just some extra work in pads," Johnson said. "And he looked good. It was encouraging. I call it a stress test right now, and we'll see how well he holds up here over the next few weeks."
That messaging towards the end of Johnson's answer is consistent with the rest of the coaches. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said on Thursday that Gordon "looked good" and "moved around really well" during that Wednesday practice. But he acknowledged "the biggest thing is it just takes some time to get him into football shape."
Step one, according to Johnson, is to evaluate where Gordon is at physically and "make sure there's no setbacks."
Gordon being around his teammates and coaches at Halas Hall is still a positive sign. The Bears' head coach also understands that Gordon has a skillset that can help Allen's unit. But he's played in five total games, including the playoffs, since he signed a 3-year, $40 million deal in the 2025 offseason.
“He's a phenomenal football player, and we have just been in a struggle, everybody's been in a struggle to get him out there," Johnson said. "He's out there now. I'm more than happy to talk about anybody that's out on the field. He's out there right now, and we're excited about what the future could possibly hold. But it's a matter of putting in a good day's work every single day, stacking consecutive days up, and we'll take it from there. But he is a very talented player. He always has been. It's just unfortunate since we got in the building a year and a half ago, we haven't had him available very much. We'll work through that. And if he can help the team, he's going to help the team.”
After months of mounting uncertainty that began in late May, the narrative surrounding Gordon has finally taken a positive turn. General manager Ryan Poles didn't even know this summer if Gordon would ever suit up for Bears gain, making this week's progress a welcome sign for the future of Chicago's defense.
