GM has 'hope' CB Kyler Gordon (calf) plays with Bears again
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles cast doubt on cornerback Kyler Gordon's future with the team.
"I don't know," Poles said Tuesday when asked whether Gordon will play for the Bears again. "I hope so. I still have hope there. He's going to have to continue to work hard and get back to playing football again."
Gordon missed all of spring workouts and training camp with what Poles previously characterized as a "delay" in his recovery from a calf injury. The 2022 second-round pick was placed on the physically unable to perform list on July 28 and remained there as the Bears cut down their roster to 53 players ahead of Sunday's deadline.
After being placed on reserve/PUP, Gordon will have to miss the Bears' first four games. He is eligible to return to practice on Sept. 21.
Poles declined to give specifics about Gordon's injury or what has caused the delay in his rehabilitation process. Gordon has been on site at Halas Hall working with the Bears' training staff and has been seen on the sideline at several training camp practices and Chicago's preseason opener against the Browns.
"Some of these guys they also have other people that they work with too," Poles said. "But yeah, he's working."
The Bears gave Gordon a three-year, $40 million contract extension last offseason but did not see an immediate return on investment after the cornerback missed nearly all of training camp in 2025. He was limited to five games, including both of the Bears' playoff matchups, after two separate stints on injured reserve.
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In July, Poles discussed the "frustrations" shared by both the team and Gordon over his struggles to remain healthy. Coach Ben Johnson remained tight-lipped on multiple occasions when asked about Gordon's status, noting on Aug. 18 that he had seen Gordon in the building "rehabbing" and that "there's a plan and he's working toward the plan."
"I really, I wish I had more for you all -- but any time you have an injury and you're coming back from something there's discomfort that you have to push through and that's what it comes down to," Poles said. "So we haven't been able to get over that hump and we're not progressing as fast as we'd like. That's really all I have to say about that."
Chicago turned to fourth-round rookie Malik Muhammad in Gordon's absence during training camp. Muhammad is expected to be Chicago's starting nickel while Clark Phillips III, who came to Chicago along with a 2027 fifth-round pick in exchange for the Bears sending defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. to Atlanta, has experience in both the slot and at outside cornerback.
"He's capable of both, but since he's been in the league, he's been outside, so we'll see where we start him off and go from there," Poles said.
In the meantime, the Bears wait to see if Gordon can make enough progress in his rehab to return to practice.
"We'll see when [Gordon] comes back," Poles said. "I don't have a timetable. We'll see how that goes."
