Latest intel provides important clarity on Kyler Gordon’s status with the Bears but there’s still some awkwardness about it
Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon will miss at least the first four weeks of the 2026 season and will also be away from the team as he continues rehabbing.
The situation involving Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon has taken wrong turn after wrong turn this offseason to the point it was worth questioning if this guy would ever plan another game with the Bears.
As things stand, Gordon is on the reserve PUP list, meaning he cannot play for the first four weeks of the season and cannot practice for the first two weeks of the season. Players on the PUP are allowed to attend team meetings and use team facilities for rehab, but it sounds like Gordon has other plans.
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Gordon “is away from the team working with his own trainer to accelerate recovery” and the plan is for him to return a few weeks into the season a begin practicing again with the team.
“This has been a challenging recovery and sometimes players work best honing in with their own people,” Rapoport added. “That seems to be the case here. Barring a setback, Gordon should be back sooner, rather than later.”
It’s certainly the most optimistic outlook we’ve had on this situation all offseason, but it’s still not helping things seem less awkward.
This latest update on Kyler Gordon’s status will only make things more awkward
Last week, a workout video surfaced of Gordon training out in the backyard one day after general manager Ryan Poles said the team had issues with Gordon not pushing through his discomfort. To me, it seemed like a subtle shot by both sides and now the idea of Gordon training away from the team entering the regular season will only make things even more awkward.
Something else that was awkward was the team social media account not posting a picture of Gordon on Monday with six days to go until the season opener, like they did with other players. Granted, we won’t see Gordon in Week 1 regardless and maybe that’s why they excluded him, but it was still weird. I mean he’s still on this team.
I get Rapoport’s message was intended to provide some optimism (likely from Gordon’s camp) that he is doing his part to work his way back to practice as soon as he’s allowed, but it honestly just added even more to the disconnect between him and the team.
Now, all of this could easily blow over if Gordon manages to get healthy, get back to practice, and start earning that trust back from the coaching staff. If he believes the best way to do that is by working with his own people, more power to him. But the Bears want to see results and have long been out of patience with this guy.
