The Chicago Bears began the season with two major injuries in the secondary. Both of their star cornerbacks, Jaylon Johnson (Groin) and Kyler Gordon ( Hamstring), opened the year on the sidelines, putting pressure on the Bears' other defensive backs. While Johnson eventually returned, he re-injured his groin and is out indefinitely.
Meanwhile, Gordon has remained on the sidelines since Week 1. The Bears' CB gave fans some hope when he made a recent post to his Instagram stories (h/t @bearsnetwork_), which included a loading bar, potentially teasing a return this week.
Unfortunately, the early signs don't point to the 26-year-old returning this week. According to CHGO Bears, Gordon did not practice again on Wednesday. Since he hasn't practiced this season, missing Wednesday is not a good sign for his Week 4 availability.
Bears CB Kyler Gordon Likely Missing Week 4
Over the last three seasons, Gordon has become a fan favorite thanks to his play-making ability. That same play-making ability helped Gordon earn a three-year $40 million extension this offseason, making him the highest-paid slot cornerback in the NFL.
When Gordon signed the extension, new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen teased the possibility of using Gordon in multiple roles. Although this excited Bears fans, the versatile ways Allen plans on using him haven't been seen yet because of the injury.
While missing Gordon has been a huge factor in every game this season, it's a huge factor this week. The Las Vegas Raiders have done most of their damage out of the slot. Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker, as well as tight end Brock Bowers, have all taken snaps in the slot to varying degrees of success.
Meyers has taken the most slot snaps, but Bowers is the biggest threat. Last week, the Bears allowed Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson to record 13 catches on 14 targets for 82 yards, and giving Bowers similar opportunities would be a disaster.
In addition, missing Gordon will continue to affect how they guard the ground, especially after he had a 76.3 run defense grade in 2024, per Pro Football Focus. Although first-year Raiders running back Jeanty has yet to have a signature game in his short NFL career, the Bears' porous run defense gives him a chance to change that.
With all that being said, it's probably a smart move to keep Gordon on the sideline for one more week. Chicago is one of the teams with an early Week 5 bye week, so sitting Gordon will give him an extra week to be fully healed and ready to go in Week 6.
Hopefully, that happens because the Bears' outlook hinges on Gordon's eventual return to play.