One of the consistent areas of frustration for the Chicago Bears defensively has been the lack of Kyler Gordon's ability to stay on the field. While it is clear this is a weakness, head coach Ben Johnson made it clear the franchise still has expectations of the defender. With Johnson taking time during his OTAs presser to cover a number of subjects, Gordon came up with the head coach offering the following on the defensive back via ESPN's Courtney Cronin:
" I think he only played in three games when I look back at it, and so, you know, this spring was going to be a springboard for us to get going in the right direction. We're still working through that. Were still trying to get that availability piece going. We know he's a good player when he's out there but trust level is a huge thing for this team, for this coaching staff, for the locker room and you can only develop that trust by being available"Ben Johnson o
Johnson doesn't run away from the fact that Gordon has been struggling with injuries, but points to OTAs as a clear springboard. One that is going to help build expectations and allow Gordon to begin to earn the trust of defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and a coaching staff that badly needs the contributions of the defender. The Chicago defense suffered a number of notable losses, with Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, Nahshon Wright, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson all leaving in free agency.
The Bears badly need Gordon to stay healthy and play up to the level he is capable of, stabilizing the secondary and helping the unit recover from offseason losses. Johnson's comment offers hope that this will be the case with the head coach speaking about building momentum.
Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson Makes Hopes for Kyler Gordon Clear Heading Into 2026
It should be noted here that the Bears have yet to see Gordon make it through a season healthy, and this remains hypothetical. Still, it is exciting to see Johnson talk about the situation and still have a clear level of hope that the defender is going to be an important piece in Chicago's defense for the 2026 season.
At his best, Gordon is an aggressive tackler who hunts the football with a level of ferocity that sets the tone for the rest of the secondary. This was obvious in 2024 when Gordon was able to play double-digit games and had a consistent impact, putting his fingerprints all over a defense that was setting up to take a leap the following year.
This is the player that Johnson is clearly expecting to be a part of the Chicago defense in the 2026 season. One capable of pushing the Bears' defense to another level and providing a level of stability in the secondary that the team clearly needs after offseason losses.
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