Bears OTAs Winners and Losers: Kyler Gordon is treading on thin ice, rookie TE is impressing, and two defenders make early injury return
The Chicago Bears wrapped up organized team activities last week and now are getting geared up for mandatory minicamp later this week. Here’s a look at who’s stock went up or down over the last two weeks.
The Chicago Bears held six practice sessions during the last two weeks of organized team activities and later this week will hold three mandatory minicamp practices starting on Tuesday.
Even without full pads, we learned a lot over the last two weeks with various players standing out on the practice field or getting a lot of praise from coaches or teammates that spoke with the media. Some players, however, are trending in the opposite direction.
So, let’s break down the winners and losers from OTAs as we head into mandatory minicamp.
Chicago Bears Winners and Losers from OTAs
CB Kyler Gordon – Stock Down
Slot cornerback Kyler Gordon has the ability to be one of the top players at his position and now is paid like it after the extension he signed last offseason. The best ability, however, is availability and that’s something that continues to be a concern.
After missing 14 games due to soft tissue injuries last season, Gordon is still dealing with injuries concerns going into the summer months and was not seen participating during OTAs last week. This comment made by head coach Ben Johnson proves Gordon is starting to tread on thin ice with the coaching staff.
“We spoke last year and neither one of us were really happy with how it went just from a perspective of being available to get to know each other,” Johnson said Wednesday. “I think he only played in three games when I look back at it, and so this spring was going to be a springboard for us to get going in the right direction. We’re still working through that. We’re still trying to get that availability piece going. We know he’s a good player when he’s out there, but trust level is a huge thing for this team, for this coaching staff, for the locker room. And you can only develop that trust by being available.”
LB T.J. Edwards and DE Dayo Odeyingbo – Stock Up
Linebacker T.J. Edwards (fractured fibula) and defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo (Achilles) are both coming off serious season-ending injuries suffered late in the 2025-26 season. Because of that, both players were expected to miss the majority of the offseason.
However, during the open practice session last week, Edwards and Odeyingbo were spotted out on the field warming up with the rest of the team. They aren’t fully cleared, but it’s a positive step in the right direction.
Edwards got the opportunity to start interacting with the revamped linebacker room while Odeyingbo got the chance to work with the coaches on the field. We’ll see how much those two can look to do during minicamp this week.
CB Malik Muhammad – Stock Down
With Gordon sidelined due to injury, OTAs would have been a great opportunity for fourth-round rookie Malik Muhammad to start chipping away at earning playtime in the slot. Instead, the rookie was absent during both open practice sessions.
Muhammad was in attendance during rookie minicamp back in May and it’s unconfirmed whether or not he’s dealing with an injury of his own. The same goes for rookie linebacker Keyshawn Elliott, who was also not in attendance during the open days of OTAs.
C Garrett Bradbury – Stock Up
Coming out of rookie minicamp, there was positive momentum building for second-round rookie center Logan Jones to potentially mix in with the starting offense and challenge veteran center Garrett Bradbury for the starting job.
It’s worth noting that evaluations in the trenches are tough this time of year. But, the comments from Johnson and right guard Jonah Jackson prove Bradbury is still in the lead position to be among the starting five. We’ll see if that starts to trend toward Jones’ direction or if Bradbury continues working with the first-team offense.
TE Sam Roush – Stock Up
Anytime a rookie gets a vote of confidence from quarterback Caleb Williams, it’s an encouraging sign and that’s exactly what happened with tight end Sam Roush. It helps him stand out that he was one of the biggest players on the field.
Even though rookie wide receiver Zavion Thomas spent more time working in with the ones, Roush is expected to earn plenty of opportunities for himself and continues to look like a strong addition to the offense.
DE Austin Booker – Stock Up
It’s hard to say Montez Sweat’s stock is down. The team pictures showed Sweat has been on the field during OTAs but he wasn’t in attendance during the two sessions open to the media, which can lead to unfair assessments. We can draw a positive conclusion from what we’ve seen and heard about Austin Booker.
The Bears are expecting big things out of the third-year edge rusher and the team’s lack of investments at the position put him on smooth ground going into a potential breakout season. And coaches have been raving about his improvement the last few weeks.