When Kyler Gordon plays, the Bears' defense soars to fourth in success rate, a stark contrast to their struggles without him.
The Chicago Bears have had their fair share of injuries this season.
Unfortunately, up until the last game against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Bears hadn't had Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon on the field together in quite some time.
It started in the offseason. Johnson suffered a groin injury that kept him out of the season opener. He returned in Week 2 but then suffered another groin injury and was placed on injured reserve.
Gordon missed the first four games of the season with a hamstring issue and returned in the game with the Washington Commanders. He then played the following game versus the New Orleans Saints, but suffered a calf injury and was placed on IR ahead of the Baltimore Ravens game.
Gordon has played in three games, accounting for seven total tackles and one TFL.
Luckily, when he's on the field, the Bears have a lot of success in one area. The NFL success rate refers to the effectiveness of offensive and defensive plays during a game.
For the defense, it tracks how good a team is by limiting total yards and defensive impact scores. When Gordon is on the field, the Bears' defense ranks fourth in success rate, while they are 28th when he isn't.
Gordon has been in the NFL since 2022 and had a great start. He recorded three interceptions and finished with 71 total tackles, two TFLs and one forced fumble.
He's been very consistent, finishing with two interceptions and 61 total tackles in 2023, then 75 total tackles last season.
Gordon has held down the nickel spot in the secondary, but his injury forced the Bears to enlist some free agent help. The Bears signed C.J. Gardner-Johnson after being released by the Ravens earlier this season.
He was on the Eagles in 2024 and was traded to the Houston Texans in the offseason. He started in the first three games but was released by the Texans on Sept. 15. He joined the Ravens' practice squad on Oct. 7 but was released on Oct. 14.
Chicago signed him to fill the nickel spot that Gordon played. Now that Gordon is back, it'll be interesting to see how the Bears decide to use the two defensive backs.
Gardner-Johnson played every snap of the 24-15 win over the Eagles, even with Gordon back from injury. Gordon was on the field for 36 snaps.
Sunday will be a good indicator of his role going forward, as the Bears face the Green Bay Packers at 3:25 p.m. CT on Fox.