LAKE FOREST, Ill. (104.3 The Score) – Bears nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon is back on the practice field with his team, having been welcomed back and seemingly trending toward a return.
After returning to Halas Hall last week, Gordon was present for practice Wednesday for the first time since the spring. He then was a full participant in practice Thursday. Gordon suffered a calf injury while training in July and missed all of training camp. As the Bears kicked off their 2026 regular season, Gordon elected to rehabilitate his injury with his own training team. He has been on the physically-unable-to-perform list since camp began, and he currently remains there as the Bears have activated his 21-day practice window.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson has made his frustration with Gordon clear at times, but defensive coordinator Dennis Allen indicated Thursday that he’s just happy to have him back.
“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.
“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.”
Gordon played just three regular-season games in 2025 as he was set back by several leg injuries. He has missed 23 games across his four NFL season.
When healthy, Gordon has been a key part of the Bears’ defensive identity and drawn plenty of praise from Allen.
“When he's been able to play, he's been effective for us,” Allen said. “So, hopefully, like I said, hopefully we can get him back out there and he can do the things that we think he can do.”
The Bears have worked around Gordon’s absence in their 2-1 start, but veteran defensive back Cam Lewis suffered a hip injury in a win against the Eagles on Monday. Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson has been dealing with injuries as well. The Bears have shifted rookie cornerback Malik Muhammad to the outside in place of Stevenson, so the opening is there for Gordon to return as the starting nickelback.
Details surrounding Gordon’s injury and absence remain unclear. Johnson has made his displeasure apparent with short, terse remarks when questioned about Gordon. The Bears haven’t made Gordon available for comment to reporter and likely won’t until he’s activated.
However, Gordon is now back with the Bears and there’s a lane for his return. This defense is ready to welcome him back, knowing the potential impact he can make if healthy.
Chris Emma covers the Bears and the Chicago sports scene for 104.3 The Score.
