What Kyler Gordon’s Return To Practice Could Mean for the Bears Defense
Happy Victory Monday, Bears fans! And what a dominant victory it was—something that’s beginning to become a theme with Bears victories so far this season. But for as much as there was to celebrate about the 23-12 win over the Jets, the Monsters of the Midway have already moved on to next week’s showdown with the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
Indeed, Bears head coach Ben Johnson didn’t waste any time prepping for the game, as he has already named Tyson Bagent the starter for Week Five (to rather subdued—and mixed—reactions from Bears fans). He’s also announced that Caleb Williams won’t practice this week, but that he is making good progress in his rehab. Not to mention that Ozzy Trapilo, who has been off of the injury report for the last two weeks, may finally make his season debut on Sunday (though in what capacity—if any—, is still unclear).
However, despite all of the injury news/developments on the offensive side of the ball, it’s actually on defense that the most important development can be found. That being the (hopefully) imminent return of Kyler Gordon.
That’s right—lost in the shuffle of Week Four’s chaos was the Bears opening Gordon's 21-day practice window on October 1, thus giving them three weeks to activate the standout (but injury-prone) cornerback off of the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. While he wasn’t eligible to return for yesterday’s game due to the league’s IR rules (players must stay on IR for a minimum of four games), he still logged three full practices and appeared to be moving very well.
The earliest he can return is next week’s clash with Green Bay. And so, with him now officially back on the practice field, the focus shifts to when he will make his return to the Bears’ secondary—and what it could/will mean for the team’s defense as a whole once he does.
How Will the Bears Use Gordon Next Week—If At All?
The immediate question/focus is, of course, whether or not the 26-year old Gordon will suit up against the Packers. And while all evidence thus far would suggest he will (of course, this week’s practice reports will help paint a clearer picture), the reality is that the answer is a resounding…maybe.
Indeed, Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has emphasized that while he was encouraged by what he saw during practice last week, Gordon first needs to get himself back into “football shape” after missing all of training camp, the preseason and the first four games of the regular season.
That distinction is important. Gordon may be eligible to play against Green Bay, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he will immediately return to his old workload.
However, the Bears also might not have a choice but to throw Gordon into the deep end right away if he comes back for next week’s game. Tyrique Stevenson has had his moments this year, but overall has been an extremely inconsistent player through the team’s first four games—and had another less-than-stellar outing yesterday, dropping an easy interception and getting burned by Isaiah Williams for a 58-yard touchdown (the Jets’ longest play of the day). Given how well Malik Muhammad has played, if Gordon is able to log another week of full practices, Stevenson’s spot in the starting lineup will very likely disappear—or at least, his snap count will begin to decrease.
There’s also still the question of whether nickel corner Cam Lewis will be able to play on Sunday, which would throw another wrinkle into things. If he is, then perhaps Chicago elects to play Gordon in a limited/smaller role and keep Stevenson in the starting spot on the outside. If Lewis isn’t able to play, then the question will become whether or not to move Gordon to the nickel role or simply replace Stevenson outright. Gordon is primarily a nickel corner (see his excellent playoff game against the Rams for evidence), so the team may actually feel the most comfortable with him in that role.
Simply put, the Bears will have lots of options for Sunday’s game (and there’s a very solid chance that they all involve Gordon in some form). As such, if he is healthy enough to play, the impact of his return would go far beyond simply Week Five.
The Bigger Picture:
The Bears’ defense has already established itself as one of the biggest surprises of the young season. After allowing 37 points in the season opener, Chicago has allowed just 9.3 points per game over its last three contests and currently ranks third in the NFL in total yards allowed per game. And perhaps most impressively, it has done so without Gordon.
That’s what makes his potential return so intriguing.
Indeed, Chicago doesn’t need Gordon to suddenly fix a broken defense. Quite the opposite—the defense has already been playing some of its best football in years. Him returning will, rather than giving the defense a ‘miracle cure’, instead (hopefully) give an already-improving unit another weapon.
For one thing, the Bears’ defense has still (at least, thus far) been excellent at forcing turnovers—six through the team’s first four games, good for fourth in the NFL. The've also received contributions from players such as Dillon Thieneman (who has been outstanding), T.J. Edwards, Devin Bush, Dayo Odeyingbo and Austin Booker—along with, of course, the aforementioned Malik Muhammad. In fact, Ben Johnson even referred to the group as a “no-name defense” following Sunday’s win over the Jets, emphasizing the unit’s collective approach rather than one individual star.
That might actually be the best possible environment for Gordon to return to.
He doesn’t have to come back and immediately be the guy. He can be another piece of an increasingly cohesive defense—and, if he proves that he can stay healthy, his role can grow naturally.
That being said, the team (rightfully so) still has high expectations for Gordon once he comes back. Gordon’s speed and athleticism allowed Dennis Allen to use him last year both in coverage or as a blitzer—and the hope is that this will remain the case once he returns this year, thus giving the defense another way to create pressure and disrupt opposing offenses.
Not to mention the $40 million elephant in the room. The Bears didn’t give him his three-year extension because they viewed him as an ordinary defensive back. They did so because they believe that he’s a major piece of this defense.
If their belief proves to be correct, then Gordon will be returning to a defense that’s already beginning to make a name for itself—and, thanks to his help, could become a much bigger problem for opposing offenses as the season rolls along.
Ultimately, the Bears won’t know exactly what they’ll be getting from Kyler Gordon until he actually does return. But with that return seemingly approaching fast, the Bears—and their fans—likely won’t have to wait long for an answer.
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