After signing a contract extension making him the highest paid slot cornerback in the league, Kyler Gordon has no problems with the Chicago Bears. Still, he has become the latest to openly acknowledge Chicago’s 2024 dysfunction.
Anyone who watched the Bears, especially after their Hail Mary loss to the Washington Commanders, saw a lifeless team throughout the second half of the season. The team went on a 10-game losing streak with quarterback Caleb Williams not getting the rookie welcome Chicago was hoping for.
After hitting rock bottom, the Bears rebuilt their entire franchise throughout the offseason. Gordon is looking forward to those brighter days. But he won’t forget how bad things have gotten. When asked about the team’s locker room chaos, Gordon smiled, laughed and confirmed not everyone was on the same page, via Eddie of Barstool Sports.
“For sure, I can feel that,” Gordon said when asked if things were “weird” in the locker room.
Kyler Gordon on the pod today
His response about how weird things were last year says it all without him saying no anything pic.twitter.com/jXTGndEiPx
— Eddie (@EddieBarstool) May 16, 2025
On the field, the Bears allowed a league-high 68 sacks. To help remedy the issue, Chicago traded for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson before signing center Drew Dalman. With Darnell Wright being a brick wall at right tackle, Chicago’s blocking scheme for Williams is vastly improved.
When he looks down field to pass, the quarterback has numerous versatile weapons to target. Receivers DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Luther Burden alongside tight end Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet will be tough for any defense to beat. Overall, the Bears were aggressive in ensuring they’re much more explosive on offense in 2025.
But they didn’t forget about about the defense, signing longtime NFL coach Dennis Allen as their new defensive coordinator. They then signed defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo and Grady Jarrett to a pair of contracts worthy nearly $100 million. With extensions for Gordon and linebacker TJ Edwards put in place, Chicago has found their defensive core. And if defensive stars Jaylon Johnson and Montez Sweat both take a step forward, the sky is the limit.
Still, through Gordon and players like Williams and Odunze in the past, it appears the biggest problem for Chicago in 2024 came from behind the scenes. The quarterback has gone on record saying neither head coach Eberflus or Shane Waldron told him what film to watch. Furthermore, he wasn’t impressed with how Eberflus handled their post-Commanders loss adversity. Ultimately, Eberflus became the first coach in Bears history to be fired midseason.
Ben Johnson’s arrival has shined a much more optimistic light on Chicago. Ever since he has been hired, he has been all-in on the Bears. He stood up for Williams when a report dropped that he originally didn’t want to play for the franchise. Johnson has even called out Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. Overall, Johnson has bought in and is committed to helping the team get back to the top of the NFC North.
The play on the field will ultimately determine if the Bears’ turnaround is for real. But the buzz is definitely palpable as everyone in Chicago looks to put 2024 behind them.
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