Kyler Gordon not expected to practice Wednesday
The Bears are starting off the week of preparation for Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the wrong foot. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Chicago Bears' head coach Matt Eberflus stated that he does not expect cornerback Kyler Gordon to take the field for the first day of practice this week. Gordon […]
The Bears are starting off the week of preparation for Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the wrong foot.
While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Chicago Bears' head coach Matt Eberflus stated that he does not expect cornerback Kyler Gordon to take the field for the first day of practice this week.
Gordon suffered a hand injury in the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers in Week 1 and was immediately ruled out.
According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, Gordon is believed to have suffered a broken hand that could sideline him up to six weeks. Eberflus added that he currently doesn't have anymore information at the moment as it relates to potentially placing the starting defensive back on the injured reserve.
Josh Blackwell stepped up for the Bears on Sunday at the nickel corner position after Gordon left the game. The third-year cornerback played 10 defensive snaps against the Packers and allowed an 18-yard completion on his only target, according to Pro Football Focus.
Despite losing a core player to the defense, members of the secondary aren’t worried about the potential loss of chemistry with Blackwell stepping in.
“What gives me confidence is I’ve seen him do it,” cornerback Jaylon Johnson said while speaking with the Chicago Tribune. “I mean, shoot, he played against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers last year and he did a really good job. He’s definitely been out there in the fire."
Chicago's head coach elected not to refer to other potential players who could play the nickel position against the Buccaneers, giving Blackwell another vote of confidence going into Sunday's game.
"You know, as we said before, there's a lot of detail to the position," Eberflus explained. "[Blackwell's] done a good job in there. You know, he's been a good special teamer for us. And, if we go that route, he'll do a nice job."
Gordon's injury is certainly not good news for the Bears going forward into the week. The Bears will likely be forced to play with a man down in the secondary against a tough Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiving duo in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
Featured image via: Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports
