The Chicago Bears are in the middle of a four-game win streak and have the Baltimore Ravens next on the schedule. While they won't have to face Ravens QB Lamar Jackson in this outing, the Bears were hit with their own injury news on Saturday.
The Bears revealed that CB Kyler Gordon and OT Braxton Jones have been placed on the IR, and they will miss at least the next four games.
Kyler Gordon and Braxton Jones Land on IR for Bears
Gordon is dealing with a groin and calf injury that he suffered in Thursday's practice. Meanwhile, Jones popped up on the injury report with a knee injury this week and was downgraded to DNP for Thursday.
This isn't ideal, especially since Gordon missed the first four games of the season with a hamstring injury. He returned in Week 6 against the Commanders and played in the last two games for Chicago. In those outings, Gordon had six total tackles, one TFL, and one fumble recovery. The timing really couldn't be worse for the defense, since the Bears are already without Jaylon Johnson as well.
Back in April, Gordon signed a three-year, $40 million deal extension to stick around the Windy City, but injuries have held him back.
Meanwhile, Jones got benched in Week 4 in favor of Theo Benedet. Jones was Chicago's starting left tackle for the last three years, but with a new coaching staff in the building, he didn't impress them enough to stick in the starting lineup.
This is an especially tough blow for Jones, though, as he's in the final year of his rookie deal. This injury may have put the final nail in his Bears career. That also likely ends the possibility of Chicago moving him ahead of the deadline. He will focus on getting healthy and returning for the second half of the season to be a depth piece along the offensive line.
Injuries are a part of the game, but losing these guys hurts the Bears, especially Gordon. Chicago is now down its top three corners and has to rely on the depth they have. Tyrique Stevenson has also been ruled out with a shoulder injury. That means it'll be a combination of Nahshon Wright on the outside, Nick McCloud at nickel, and either Josh Blackwell or Jaylon Jones at the other boundary spot.
Thankfully, Chicago has more depth in the trenches, as rookie OT Ozzy Trapilo is waiting in the wings. Nonetheless, this is bad injury news for a team that's found some rhythm over the last few weeks.