Chicago Bears Could Make Shocking Decision to Cut Starter

Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon remains sidelined by a persistent soft-tissue injury, and questions are growing about whether he will be ready to contribute when the regular season begins.

Gordon has yet to take part in any training camp practices. The calf issue kept him out of the team’s offseason program earlier this year, and no clear return date has been announced.

Team officials have offered few details on his progress. Head coach Ben Johnson addressed the matter briefly this week.

“Yeah, there’s nothing to add right now,” Johnson said. “There’s a plan, and he’s working toward that plan.”

That limited response has left room for speculation among those who cover the team closely.

Chicago Tribune reporter Brad Biggs suggested Gordon’s chances of making the initial 53-man roster are slipping.

“Considering we’re in the middle of the second week of the preseason and Gordon remains on the PUP list, I’d say chances of him being on the 53 for Week 1 are fading by the day,” Biggs wrote. “Remember, Gordon was tracking to return last summer from a soft-tissue injury suffered in the first week of August, and then he had a hamstring injury flare up before the Week 1 game against the Minnesota Vikings.”

The 26-year-old defensive back is still listed on the physically unable to perform list as of Thursday. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has also kept his comments short when asked about the situation.

“I just know he’s going through the rehab process quite honestly,” Allen said. “I haven’t — that’s something that I can’t really put a lot of thought into right now. I’ve got to focus on the guys that we have. I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to get him back sooner rather than later, and yet that’s not anything that I control, so my pure focus has been on the guys that are out there and what we’re doing with those guys.”

Frustration appears to be building inside the organization. Multiple reporters who cover the Bears have noted the team’s growing impatience with the prolonged absence. One local voice described the coaching staff and front office as “a little fed up” with Gordon’s continued unavailability during camp.

Reporter Herb Howard offered a similar assessment after seeing Gordon in the locker room.

“I don’t know if it is just injury or a mixture of injury and miscommunication, or whatever is going on, it’s gotta get solved because he can really, really help them,” Howard said. “But I can tell not only are the coaches and the front office frustrated just seeing him for the 10-15 minutes I saw him in the locker room, he’s very frustrated, too.”

With the roster deadline approaching, options for Gordon appear limited. The Bears must trim their roster to 53 players by 6 p.m. ET on August 30. Even if Gordon returns to the practice field in the coming days, which currently looks unlikely, he would have little time to regain full game readiness before the season opener.

A placement on injured reserve seems the most probable path. The team could designate him for short-term IR with a chance to return later, or keep him on the active roster briefly before moving him to IR if the recovery stretches beyond four weeks.

In a more severe outcome, Gordon could be placed on injured reserve without a return designation, effectively ending his 2026 season before it starts.

Gordon has been a key piece of the Bears’ secondary in recent seasons, particularly in the nickel role. His absence has forced other players into larger roles during camp as the coaching staff evaluates the depth chart.

The soft-tissue nature of the injury has made the recovery timeline especially difficult to predict. Soft-tissue issues often linger and can flare up with increased activity, as Gordon experienced last year.

For now, the Bears continue to work with the players who are healthy and available. Gordon remains in rehab, and both he and the organization are waiting to see when the calf will allow him to rejoin the group.