One of the best draft picks of the Ryan Poles Era weighs in on potential extension with the Bears after the 2024 season
The Chicago Bears have one more game in the regular season against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday and then it's back to the drawing board to find ways to improve this roster to where it needs to be.The Bears clearly have a strong foundation in place with leaders and young talent on both sides […]
The Chicago Bears have one more game in the regular season against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday and then it's back to the drawing board to find ways to improve this roster to where it needs to be.
The Bears clearly have a strong foundation in place with leaders and young talent on both sides of the ball. Roster-wise, the team just needs to fill a few more holes that opened up throughout the season.
Another critical part of the offseason will be about retaining the talent you want to keep around for the future of the organization, either by re-signing upcoming free agents or getting ahead on early extensions.
One player who could land a new deal as early as this offseason is slot cornerback Kyler Gordon, who's more than deserving of a new deal. The Bears drafted Gordon in the second-round of the 2022 NFL Draft and will have one more year remaining on his rookie deal after this season.
Good players who can shine during their first three seasons usually get rewarded with a new deal before going into the final year of a contract. For Gordon, that's something that is on his radar and his play is worthy of getting an early extension with the team.
"I haven't thought a ton about it, like a lot of people try to bring it up to me often, really I've just been focusing on ending out the year right and good," Gordon explained on Monday. "I love Chicago, I love the people here, the fans, and everything. If I'm grateful enough to get [an extension], then that's what it would be."
In 41 career games, Gordon has recorded five interceptions, 17 pass deflections, 203 total tackles, and 1.5 sacks. Since returning from injury in Week 10, Gordon has been playing consistently well for the Bears and is just looking for more ways to get better.
"I look at the good and the bad plays and just keep trying to elevate my game and grow in my areas," Gordon explained. "I don't much look at the good but just look at the weakness where I can improve… Constantly finding more ways to produce more."
Rewarding Gordon with an early extension would be great for him and the rest of the defense by locking in a young leader. However, Gordon also has a say in the matter and upcoming decisions by the team could play a part.
If Gordon wants to commit to Chicago for multiple years to come, he's going to want to make sure the franchise is headed in the right direction. The first move to ensure that is the upcoming head coaching hire this offseason. Here's what Gordon had to say about what he's hoping to see in his next head coach.
"For me, what I would say, just come in here an enforce discipline, that's it," Gordon added. "Just be straight. You want to be a player's coach obviously for the players, but just come in, be strict, disciplined and coach with passion and love… But I do think recreating that culture that we want to have in the locker room that we got, I think that's part of it as well."
Ideally, the Bears can land this upcoming hire with someone who can come in and create that new culture for the locker room. That'll entice someone like Gordon and other young players to remain in Chicago and continuing building things up.
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