Bears GM Ryan Poles isn’t hiding how much the team wants Kyler Gordon back, but there’s still no clear timetable for the cornerback’s return from a calf injury.
Gordon has been on PUP, and Poles said the Bears are doing everything they can to get him right after he spent the offseason training with the team. Still, the injury has pushed his return into an unknown window.
“ Kyler Gordon on PUP, with his calf, he was here all offseason training, getting right. We had a delay in that.
All hands on deck to get him back,” Poles said, via Pro Football Talk. “He’s frustrated, we’re frustrated.
We just want him back. He helps our football team.
But we have to move forward with the guys we have, and when he’s ready to go he’ll be ready to go. Everybody here is putting all their time and effort to get him back right.”
Poles also made it clear the Bears are thinking beyond just getting Gordon on the field again.
“I really don’t know. He’s got to get right and the important thing we’ve all talked about is when he gets back he’s got to stay back,” Poles added. “When he gets back he’s got to earn that trust back.”
In Detroit, Dan Campbell said the Lions are hoping to have safety Brian Branch back in practice late in training camp or at the start of September, according to Tim Twentyman. Campbell said Kerby Joseph is on a similar schedule, though getting him ready for Week 1 would be a bonus.
The Lions also had running back Jahmyr Gibbs out of practice while he and the team continue contract talks, Dave Birkett reported.
Over in Green Bay, Packers DC Jonathan Gannon praised the decision to bring in defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, calling him a player who checks every box the team values. Gannon pointed to Hargrave’s work ethic, toughness, football IQ, and team-first approach as the reasons the move made sense.
“He’s a good player; that was a good defense with a lot of good players, and he was a part of that defense,” Gannon said, via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. “When we had the ability to acquire him or the chance to acquire him, team-first guy, loves football, smart, and he works his butt off and he’s tough as nails.
So, anybody that kind of checks those boxes, you want to acquire them if you can. He checked all those boxes.
I’m excited to get back with him.”
The Vikings section centered on Kyler Murray, who is in his first year with Minnesota after seven seasons in Arizona. One anonymous former Cardinals coach believes the move could unlock the “best version” of Murray, and Murray’s former colleagues seem convinced the quarterback is ready to show more.
“I think you’re about to see the best version of Kyler Murray,” the coach said, via Alec Lewis of The Athletic. “And I’m f-ing pissed that I’m not going to get to be a part of it. I’m going to be jealous when he’s in a good environment, his headspace is good, and he shows people who the f- he is.”
Former Cardinals and current Commanders running back Chase Edmonds echoed that confidence, saying Murray’s recent stretch of his career may have been part of the process.
“I think how his career has gone the last two or three years has been necessary for his growth,” Edmonds said. “The Vikings are going to be getting the best Kyler Murray that anyone has ever seen in terms of consistency.”
Former Cardinals assistant and current UMass WRs coach Jordan Hogan also said Murray wants to operate from the pocket and avoid exposing himself to unnecessary punishment.
“He is not an idiot, and neither is his inner circle,” Hogan said. “Being in the NFC West, he knows what this type of offense is about.
He wants to live in the pocket. He wants to be a pocket passer.
He doesn’t want to run around because that’s how you get hurt at that level, and he knows that.”
In Other News...
Cardinals Fans May Not Love Which Arizona Name Just Entered Trade Chatter
A speculative trade list making the rounds ahead of the 2026 training camp and preseason has plenty of familiar names attached to it, and a couple of them land uncomfortably close to Arizona. The piece is not about completed deals, just a rundown of players around the league who could become available if their situations turn sour, which is the kind of exercise that always gets attention this time of year.
For Cardinals fans, the eyebrow-raiser is that Josh Sweat shows up among the potential trade candidates, with Tyler Allgeier also mentioned in connection with Arizonas backfield situation. Neither name means a move is imminent, but it does underline how quickly roster chatter can shift once camp injuries, depth-chart battles and contract questions start piling up. [Read more 🡒]
Carson Beck Gave Cardinals Fans A Reason To Watch Day 6 Closely
One week into training camp, the Cardinals are starting to get a better read on rookie quarterback Carson Beck, and practice No. 6 at State Farm Stadium offered one of the cleaner snapshots yet. Beck had been uneven early in camp, but he showed real improvement as the session went on, especially when the offense shifted into a two-minute drill and he connected on a pair of sharp throws that gave the sideline something to notice.
The setup around him matters, too, because head coach Mike LaFleur has made it clear why the team is leaning away from seven-on-seven work. Arizona would rather use one-on-one periods that more closely resemble actual football, and that approach is giving Beck more of the kind of reps the staff wants to evaluate. For a rookie still trying to settle in, those live-looking moments can carry a little extra weight. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Camp Suddenly Raised New Questions About The Offense And Injuries
A practice session at State Farm Stadium brought a little more clarity to the Cardinals offense, even if it also stirred up a few new questions. Jacoby Brissett handled first-team reps with the unit, a notable development as Arizona continued sorting out its looks in camp, while Paris Johnson was activated and back in the mix.
The injury side of the ledger remained a mixed bag. Josh Sweat, Garrett Williams and Tip Reiman were still not cleared to practice, and Marvin Harrison was active after dealing with cramping, while Trey Benson took part in 11-on-11 work for the first time in camp. For a team trying to build continuity, the next few practices should say plenty about who is actually ready to help and who is still waiting on the sideline. [Read more 🡒]