Hampered by a string of debilitating injuries last season, cornerback Kyler Gordon must stay healthy to anchor a thin secondary and stabilize Chicago’s inconsistent defensive front in 2026.
The Chicago Bears had some unfortunate injuries happen on defense last season.
Starting cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon missed most of the year. Johnson sustained a groin injury in Week 2 that kept him out until Week 13.
Then, with Gordon, he battled multiple injuries throughout the season. He had hamstring issues in the preseason that kept him out of the first four games.
Rookie Shemar Turner tore his ACL, and free-agent edge rusher Dayo Odeyingbo suffered a season-ending Achilles injury.
Luckily for Gordon, he was able to come back for the Monday Night Football showdown with the Washington Commanders. He then played in the following game against the New Orleans Saints.
Gordon suffered a calf injury ahead of the Baltimore Ravens game in Week 8 that sidelined him until Week 13.
Then, he got injured again before the matchup with the Green Bay Packers in Week 14. He suffered a groin injury in pregame warmups, and the Bears decided to shut him down for the remainder of the regular season.
Luckily, after it looked like he could miss the rest of the season, he returned for the playoffs. He played in both games, and the secondary improved as a result.
Gordon's absence was felt in the Week 14 loss to the Packers. Christian Watson was matched up with C.J. Gardner-Johnson in the slot and got burned in the second half.
Gardner-Johnson was undersized and couldn't match up well with Watson, as the tape showed.
The Bears could really use a bounce-back year from Gordon in 2026.
For one, he had one of the worst seasons of his career last season after signing his three-year, $40 million extension.
Plus, Gardner-Johnson isn't there to play slot corner anymore, as he departed the team in free agency, not that it matters. Although Gardner-Johnson was a liability in that Packers game, he did a decent job while Gordon was out due to injury.
He is now gone, and the Bears don't have many options to replace Gordon if he has injury issues again. Ourlads.com has special teamer Josh Blackwell as the backup slot corner at the moment.
Another reason it's crucial that Gordon stays on the field this year is the pass rush.
Chicago couldn't find a way to sack opposing quarterbacks consistently. They ranked 22nd in the NFL with 35 sacks. Past Montez Sweat, there was a lack of depth in the pass rush.
Gervon Dexter and Austin Booker looked decent, but their efforts weren't enough. Odeyingbo's injury showed just how vulnerable the Bears were.
After analyzing the moves the Bears made this offseason, it was clear that General Manager Ryan Poles is sticking with his current slew of edge rushers.
He did add safeties Dillon Thieneman and Coby Bryant, as well as cornerback Malik Muhammad. Poles is banking on the Bears having solid pass coverage to confuse opposing quarterbacks and have them hold onto the ball longer, helping the pass rush get home.
If Gordon isn't able to stay on the field, it could have a ripple effect on the secondary.
It's paramount that he gets back to his old self in 2026, or we could be looking at another disappointing season from the secondary and pass rush as a whole.