Chicago Bears nickel cornerback was a full participant in Thursday's practice at Halas Hall. Find out what defensive coordinator Dennis Allen had to say about the Bears' defensive back.
LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- While the Chicago Bears stretched and warmed up inside the Walter Payton Center at Halas Hall, there was an extra defensive back on the field.
Nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon stretched, jogged and worked on his start and stop speed with his teammates around during the open part of practice. It was just warmups, but Gordon moved well and was a full participant for a second-straight day after his 21-day practice window opened to come off the PUP on Wednesday.
Gordon also appeared towards the end of the open locker room availability, which isn't uncommon for players. He hung out by his locker and talked with fellow defensive backs Elijah Hicks and Josh Blackwell.
Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen was told sometime last week that Gordon would be rejoining the team.
"I think really right now where we’re at he’s got to ramp up and get himself into football shape," Allen said. "We did a little extra work with him yesterday. I thought he looked good, I thought the way he went out there and practiced I thought was good to see. He moved around really well. I think the biggest thing is it just takes some time to get him into football shape. We will do that. We got 21 days to figure it out and make a decision and we will use whatever time we need to evaluate where he’s at. Hopefully he’ll be ready sooner rather than later. I think he’s a player that can help us. "
Since Gordon has been recovering from a calf injury, rookie Malik Muhammad and veteran Cam Lewis have filled the void at the nickel cornerback position. Both players have done an admirable job playing the spot, but Gordon was signed to a three-year, $40 million contract during the 2025 offseason for a reason.
The 5-foot-11, 200-pound defensive back can help elevate the Bears' secondary. Even though Gordon has played in just five games (including the playoffs) since signing his big-time contract, Allen knows what he adds to the defense.
"I mean I've got extreme confidence in what he can do when he's out there on the field," Allen said. "And so that's never wavered. I think as we all know, the biggest thing for Kyler is for him to be healthy and be able to stay healthy. And so that's kind of where the focus is. You know, obviously when we get to a point where he's been able to get himself into football shape, be able to stay healthy, I see him being back out on the field for us and helping us win a lot of games."
Bears defensive assistant/nickels coach Cannon Matthews also expressed his confidence in Gordon.
"For me, the mental part of it isn't an issue," Matthews said. "He's a sharp young man, very high football IQ, so that part not much has changed from the time he was here till now, so I'm confident about that part. It's just getting him to a point where he's confident in his physical ability and conditioning and just kind of going from there."
Gordon is stacking days and reacclimating himself to this Bears football team after a dominant performance against the Philadelphia Eagles. The defense will welcome Gordon if he can return within the 21-day window. The earliest he can officially be activated to the team's 53-man roster is for the Week 5 game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
