Kyler Gordon sends subtle message at the Bears after Ryan Poles called him out but it’s too little too late now
Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon shared some workout videos one day after general manager Ryan Poles gave an update on Gordon’s recovery timeline and 2026 expectations.
The Chicago Bears frustrating situation with cornerback Kyler Gordon took a significant turn on Tuesday when Bears general manager Ryan Poles spoke to the media prior to the start of the regular season.
Gordon was a major talking point during that presser after being sidelined for pretty much the entire offseason with a calf injury. The SparkNotes, there is still no timetable for his expected return and there’s no guarantee Gordon even plays in 2026, or ever again for the Bears at this point.
The one thing we haven’t heard is Gordon’s side of things. The only public sightings we’ve seen from Gordon since training camp has been signing autographs after practice wearing workout close. That changed, to an extent, on Wednesday.
Kyler Gordon sends subtle message to the Bears with latest workout videos
FootDoctor_Moe on Instagram, a known NFL rehab specialist who’s worked with Jaylon Johnson and other Bears players before, posted videos to his IG story on Wednesday of Kyler Gordon working out with the following captions on the posts:
- “Priming the right way”
- “Understanding where the issue/dysfunction is, that’s how you really fix an injury”
- “You & me”
- “When you understand how to generate force it become free energy”
Those comments might not be intended to be a subtle shot to the Bears and the team’s training staff, but it certainly sounds like it. Poles admitted on Tuesday that there has been some disconnect between Gordon and the organization in regards to his rehab process and this certainly adds to that point. Especially seeing Gordon actively training because here’s what Poles had to say when asked what’s holding Gordon back right now:
“Anytime you have an injury and you’re coming back from something, there’s discomfort that you have to push through,” Poles explained. “And that’s what it comes down to. We haven’t been able to get over that hump and we’re not progressing as fast as we would like. That’s really all I have.”
Gordon seems to be moving around fine in those videos and pushing himself. So, what exactly is going on? And it’s worth bringing up these telling comments head coach Ben Johnson had last week when asked about getting injured players back before the season.
“We have almost the entire roster fighting their tails off to get back out on the field,” Johnson explained. “They do not like missing time. They want to be out there competing, they want to be out there with their teammates. To me, that’s the sign that we’re moving in the right direction. I get a lot of positive vibes from that.”
It’s too little, too late for Kyler Gordon to be working his way back at this point
The Bears made a definitive decision on Gordon’s short-term future with the team when they moved him onto the reserve PUP list over the weekend. That means Gordon is not able to practice for the first two weeks and cannot play for the first four weeks of the season. After two weeks, a 21 day window opens to activate him to the 53-man roster. If he’s not activated in that window, he will not be able to play in 2026.
Now, let me be clear. We still don’t know exactly what’s going on here with Gordon’s recovery process and every injury is different and unique. Especially considering it’s a calf injury, which are notoriously linked to Achilles tears if you try to push through it. From that logic, you can see why Gordon is hesitant to push through discomfort.
But for the Bears, they understand the caliber of player Gordon can be on the field and would ideally want him back sooner than later, at full health. It’s a tough situation to be a part of on both sides. But, sending subtle shots back and forth isn’t going to help anything except expedite a break up.
