With the Bears’ season opener closing in, Kyler Gordon has become one of the biggest unknowns hanging over the roster. The cornerback is set to miss at least the first four games because of a lingering calf issue, and the bigger question is still sitting there: when does he actually get back, and does he get back at all this season?
At this point, head coach Ben Johnson doesn’t have answers, and neither does general manager Ryan Poles. Gordon’s rehab has also moved outside the building, which only adds another layer to a situation that already feels unsettled.
Questions about Gordon’s effort to return have started to swirl, fairly or not. The Bears made him the highest-paid slot corner in the league in the spring of 2025, and he also missed a lot of time last season. Only Gordon can truly explain where things stand, but from the outside, the message hasn’t looked great.
Former Bears head coach Dave Wannstedt sees it through a coach’s eyes, and he didn’t soften his opinion when he joined 104.3 The Score this week.
"I think he's done", Wannstedt said. "I think he's done...
I'm predicting he's gonna come back and say 'I'm ok to play', and he lasts a week or two. Either the injury flares up, or something.
But I don't think this guy's gonna play anymore. I really don't."
Patrick Mannelly, another analyst on the show, didn’t fully push back. He pointed out that Johnson is trying to build a strong locker room in his second season, and Gordon may not fit cleanly into that effort. Wannstedt then brought up his own experience as the Miami Dolphins’ head coach, when Ricky Williams took a year off and created a major distraction.
That’s the kind of thing Johnson would rather avoid. He has little use for distractions, even if some are unavoidable. But anything that starts to seep into the locker room is another matter.
And the longer this drags on without a clear sign of when Gordon might play, the more it becomes a topic players will be asked about and reporters will keep pressing on. Johnson would surely prefer to keep it off his weekly agenda.
If the Bears start winning, plenty of the noise around Gordon will fade. But until there’s a real answer on his status, the situation is going to keep hanging around - and Wannstedt’s blunt read, harsh as it was, comes from a place of experience.
In Other News...
Caleb Williams Only Reached Chicago Because One Team Blew It
Caleb Williams is in Chicago because the Bears took the aggressive route to secure the No. 1 pick, a move that ultimately came from trading with Carolina and reshaping the top of the draft. Williams has already shown he understands the scale of what the Bears invested to get him, noting his appreciation for the chance to join a historic franchise and help move it forward.
For Chicago, the trade was about more than landing a quarterback. It was a bet on a long-term centerpiece, the kind of swing the franchise needed after years of searching for stability at the position, and it now leaves both teams measured against the same deal every time Williams takes the field. The part that still hangs over it is how Carolinas side of the move will be remembered if Williams develops into the kind of player the Bears believe they finally found. [Read more 🡒]
Caleb Williams And Ben Johnson Could Be The Bears' Most Explosive Bet Yet
Caleb Williams already looks like the kind of quarterback Ben Johnson can build an offense around, because his game naturally leans toward aggression. He is a shot taker, and that matters in a Bears system that wants to live on explosive plays downfield, whether they come through the air or by way of the run game. Chicago showed last season it can stress defenses with big gains in both passing and rushing, and that template gives this pairing a clear identity.
The intrigue now is how far that fit can go once the offense gets deeper into its second season with Williams and Johnson working together. If the Bears keep leaning into the same formula, the ceiling is obvious: more chunk plays, more stress on opposing defenses, and a chance for Williams to become the kind of quarterback who turns design and daring into regular offense. The question is no longer whether the pieces make sense, but how explosive they can become when everything starts clicking. [Read more 🡒]
Ben Johnson Just Gave Bears Fans A Reason To Believe
Ben Johnsons tone around the Bears has noticeably shifted as Week 1 arrives, and that alone is enough to catch the attention of a fan base that has spent years waiting for signs of real progress. After spending the offseason talking about standards and habits, the new head coach said the team is now practicing at a championship level, a striking change from where his message was a year ago.
Johnson also pointed to the work ethic building through the week leading into games, which is exactly the kind of detail Bears fans have been hoping to hear from a coach trying to change the culture. Still, he made clear the hard part comes later, when the season starts to wear on players physically and the challenge becomes keeping that level of preparation intact every week. [Read more 🡒]