Kyler Gordon reiterates desire to land extension in Chicago, but the price keeps rising for Ryan Poles after latest free agent signings
Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears had one mission in mind this offseason, overhaul the trenches in a meaningful manner, first and foremost.That job is narrowing completion after the front office traded for two high-level starters at guard and then agreed to deals with three top free agents in the trenches.The second priority for Ryan […]
Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears had one mission in mind this offseason, overhaul the trenches in a meaningful manner, first and foremost.
That job is narrowing completion after the front office traded for two high-level starters at guard and then agreed to deals with three top free agents in the trenches.
The second priority for Ryan Poles needs to be prioritizing his own, and that starts by ironing out a long-term deal with slot cornerback Kyler Gordon.
“It’s always a priority to re-sign your own," Poles claimed at the 2025 Combine. "I think Kyler's done a really good job over the last few years making plays and impacting the game. I really believe he's going to continue to elevate his game to the next level, especially with [defensive coordinator Dennis Allen] and this new scheme."
If that's the case, why hasn't a deal be finalized yet? We've seen numerous extensions go down around the league over the past few days and free agents flying off the shelf, which has only driven the market up. That's something Gordon's agency has surely taken notice of.
On Wednesday, Gordon was the Bears' recipient of the 2024 Ed Block Courage Award, an award voted by teammates choosing the player best embodying inspiration, sportsmanship, and courage. It also was another opportunity for Gordon to address the media regarding his long-term aspirations to remain in Chicago.
"I love Chicago. I love everything about it. The people, the history, the team, community. This is where God is telling me to be, this is where I will be. It’s where I want to be," Gordon said via ESPN's Courtney Cronin. "As far as an extension, we’ll see what happens. I’ve got no control over that, but God will…
I think it’s just about doing it right. I’m not really pressed for time, whether it’s here, now or later. I think it’s just about doing it right, just being fair."
Gordon is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is more than deserving of a new deal before the 2025 season. A few weeks back, I predicted Gordon would land a three-year, $30 million extension. Based on recent deals, it'll be higher than that.
Top-End Slot Cornerback Market
When looking at Gordon's potential extension, he's not going to be top cornerback money by any means given his role on defense as a nickel defender. The top overall cornerback market just got a major bump after Jaycee Horn signed a record-breaking four-year, $100 million deal.
As far as nickel cornerbacks go, the number is usually much lower than that, but that market still got reset earlier this week. Jourdan Lewis became the highest-paid nickel defender on Monday, with a three-year, $30 million free agent contract agreement from the Jaguars. Hours later, that number was jumped again when Nate Hobbs agreed to a four-year, $48 million deal with the Packers.
That means the current rate for a top nickel cornerback is anywhere between $10-12 per year. Which could potentially be more if Gordon's team wants to jump that price.
Based on his consistent improvement and role on the defense in Chicago, he deserves a similar deal to what Lewis and Hobbs got based on their stat comparisons in 2024.
| Kyler Gordon | Jourdan Lewis | Nate Hobbs | |
|---|---|---|---|
Games Played | 15 | 16 | 11 |
Comp Pct Allowed | 71.9 | 70.6 | 67.4 |
INTs + Pass Deflections | 5 | 9 | 6 |
Total Tackles | 75 | 71 | 49 |
Sacks + QB Hits | 2.5 | 3.0 | 1.0 |
Based on those numbers, Gordon clearly belongs in that conversation for making $10-12 million on his upcoming extension.
But, as we all know, the more you wait the more you pay. It's time for Poles and the front office to start prioritizing this deal with the top free agent signings behind them.
Caleb Williams and Ryan Poles primed to benefit the most from first wave of free agent signings while the future of two recent draft picks becomes even more uncertain
Winners and Losers from the signings so far.
