Just when the Chicago Bears thought that they would finally be healthy on the defensive side of the ball, they were hit with cornerback Kyler Gordon's injury. The dynamic nickel back of the Bears suffered a groin injury during warmups on Sunday and was subsequently ruled out. Since then, the updates haven't been optimistic about Gordon's status going forward.
On Wednesday, head coach Ben Johnson was asked whether he expects Gordon to play again this season. He responded, "to be determined...coming out of that one, he didn't look really good," per CHGO Bears on X.
This is a disappointing development. Suffering a potential season-ending injury during the warmups is the last thing Gordon needs in what has been an already injury-riddled season. Gordon has missed all but three games with three separate injuries. He had a hamstring injury to start the season. He returned and played two games before landing on the IR with a calf injury. Now, only after one game since his return, he suffered a groin injury that will seemingly keep him out for weeks.
All Eyes on Nick Cloud After Bears' Unfortunate Kyler Gordon News
With only four weeks left in the regular season, Gordon could land on the injured reserve again and return for the postseason. While it sounds like the severity of the injury is not fully clear, the Bears need to find solutions down the stretch.
This solution will likely include Nick McCloud. At this point in the season, it's hard to imagine the Bears signing a free agent who could make an impact. McCloud, on the other hand, has been with the team and has been a healthy contributor all season. With Tyrique Stevenson also banged up, McCloud will have a large role in Week 15 and beyond.
McCloud has spent most of his defensive snaps as a nickel back this season, but lined up more on the outside against the Green Bay Packers. This paid dividends as he had his best game of the season, receiving a team-best 75.0 defensive grade on Pro Football Focus. Still, that isn't good enough to erase McCloud's season-long performance, which has seen him allow 23 catches on 29 targets (79.3%) for 307 yards (13.3 per reception), four touchdowns, and a 150.4 passer rating.
With McCloud on the outside, it was veteran defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson who saw significant snaps in the slot, albeit with little success (season-worst 27.8 coverage grade). The new Bears addition has been up and down since joining Chicago, with a few excellent games and a couple of duds, but his versatility has been key. With McCloud seeing snaps on the outside, subbing in for Jaylon Johnson as he did on Sunday, CJGJ will continue to play as many snaps as he can handle.
The Bears' secondary has been punching above its weight all season and has been a huge reason why they lead the league in takeaways. They have responded well to adversity all season, and it'll be up to McCloud to continue that trend for as long as Gordon is sidelined.