Bears Activate CB Kyler Gordon From IR
The Bears activated cornerback Kyler Gordon from injured reserve, per a team announcement, setting him up to play in Saturday night’s wild card matchup with the Packers.
Gordon, 26, only appeared in three games in the regular season due to a variety of injuries. He did not play until Week 6 due to a hamstring injury suffered in training camp. Calf and groin issues quickly forced him back on the sidelines, this time accompanied by a move to injured reserve. He returned to the field in late November and landed right back on IR after his first game back, again due to a groin injury. After missing the last four games of the regular season, Gordon was able to recover in time for the Bears’ first playoff game since 2020.
The injury-riddled season has been a disappointment for both player and club, especially considering the three-year, $40MM extension Gordon signed in April. The 2022 second-round pick emerged as a reliable, if not elite, nickel in his first three years in the NFL, earning him a deal at the top of that specific market. But injuries were an issue; Gordon missed nine games across those three seasons and has more than doubled his total this year.
Chicago has primarily relied on C.J. Gardner-Johnson in the slot with Nick McCloud also getting some snaps. Neither has performed particularly well – their Pro Football Focus grades (subscription required) both hover around 50.0 – so it will be interesting to see how the Bears handle Gordon’s return. Given his health struggles – especially two groin issues – they may want to ease him back into full-speed and -contact action to avoid another re-injury.
The Bears also announced a few other moves for Saturday’s game. Tight end Nikola Kalinic and linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin were both elevated from the practice squad to face the Packers, while offensive tackle Braxton Jones was downgraded to out and will not be activated from IR.
Bears Designate CB Kyler Gordon, LT Braxton Jones For Return
The Bears could have a pair of reinforcements in time for their playoff opener. Cornerback Kyler Gordon and left tackle Braxton Jones have been designated for return from injured reserve, per a team announcement.
The move opens both players’ practice windows. Gordon and Jones can now be activated at any time within the next 21 days. Managing to do so in either case prior to Saturday’s matchup against the Packers in the wild-card round would of course be welcomed by Chicago.
Gordon has managed to play just three games so far this season. A groin injury led to his second IR stint of the year in December. No return in time for the end of the regular season was possible in his case, but the Bears have remained optimistic Gordon would be able to see time in the playoffs. Depending on how the next few days go, that could come to fruition.
Chicago has dealt with a number of injuries this season, and the defense in particular has been hit hard. Getting Gordon back in the fold against Green Bay’s passing attack and a healthy Jordan Love could prove to be critical if he is activated in time. The 26-year-old inked a $40MM extension this past offseason, and he is slated to operate as a key figure in the secondary for the foreseeable future.
Jones, by contrast, is a pending free agent. The former fifth-rounder has been on IR since October. His placement on injured reserve came not long after being benched for the first time in his career. Jones operated as a full-time starter during his first three seasons with Chicago, a team which has looked into numerous options on the blindside in 2025. Second-round rookie Ozzy Trapilo has handled left tackle duties for several weeks, and that should continue into the playoffs.
If he is activated, Jones will at least offer the Bears with depth on the blindside. His status, along with Gordon’s, will be worth monitoring over the next few days.
Bears Hopeful Rome Odunze, Kyler Gordon Will Return This Season
DECEMBER 26: Odunze has officially been ruled out for Week 17, meaning the Bears will once again be shorthanded at the receiver spot on Sunday. Attention will now turn to a return for the regular season finale or the opening week of the playoffs.
DECEMBER 25: No matter what happens over the last two weeks of the regular season, the 11-4 Bears are heading for the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Like most successful teams, they’ve had to overcome injuries to important contributors. Wide receiver Rome Odunze and cornerback Kyler Gordon are among key Bears who have missed time this year. Both players could return in the coming weeks.
Chicago has gone three straight games without Odunze, who’s dealing with a stress fracture in his foot. Odunze is trending toward missing this Sunday’s high-stakes meeting with the 49ers, another contender for the No. 1 seed in the NFC, per Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times.
The Bears have considered placing Odunze on injured reserve, but doing so now would render him ineligible for two playoff games (if the team advances that far). Head coach Ben Johnson still believes Odunze is “going to be able to help us this year” (via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune).
Perhaps Odunze will be ready for a Week 18 matchup against Detroit. If not, an immediate postseason return appears realistic.
With 44 catches, 661 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games, Odunze led all Bears receivers in those categories before his absence. The Bears have won two of three without him, though, with D.J. Moore and two rookies – first-round tight end Colston Loveland and second-round receiver Luther Burden – serving as quarterback Caleb Williams‘ most reliable targets for a large portion of that stretch.
Burden missed a thrilling Week 16 win over the Packers with an ankle injury, but he combined for 10 receptions and 151 yards in the previous two weeks. After returning to practice on a limited basis Wednesday, it’s possible Burden will reenter the lineup on Sunday.
While Odunze has avoided a stint on IR, Gordon hasn’t been as fortunate. Gordon’s regular season came to an early end when a groin injury forced him to IR on Dec. 13. The standout nickel corner was previously on IR this season with groin and calf issues. He also missed the Bears’ first four games with a hamstring malady. Gordon has played just three games during an injury-ravaged 2025, though Johnson said he’s “hopeful” the 26-year-old will come back in the playoffs (via Scott Bair of Marquee Sports Network). He’ll be eligible for activation in the first round.
The late-October free agent addition of C.J. Gardner-Johnson has helped cover for Gordon’s health struggles this year. In eight games with the Bears, Gardner-Johnson has put up 40 tackles, three sacks and two interceptions. He was on the field for 78% of defensive snaps against Green Bay before departing with a knee injury. With Gardner-Johnson a limited participant in practice on Wednesday, there’s hope he’ll be available against the surging 49ers.
Bears To Place CB Kyler Gordon On IR
Kyler Gordon‘s regular season is over. The Bears are placing the cornerback on injured reserve, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
This is the second IR stint of 2025 for Gordon, who’s dealing with a groin injury. A hamstring injury sidelined Gordon for the first four games of the season. Groin and calf issues then forced Gordon to IR for the first time on Oct. 25.
After establishing himself as one of the league’s premier nickel corners from 2022-24, Gordon signed a three-year, $40MM extension in April. Gordon missed nine games during his first three years in the league. He’ll add another 14 to the total this season. In three appearances, Gordon picked up seven tackles and a sack.
Despite minimal contributions from Gordon, the Bears are 9-4 and in possession of the last playoff spot in the NFC. The team has little room for error over the final four weeks of the season, though, and losing Gordon again is an unwelcome development. He missed the Bears’ loss to the NFC North rival Packers last Sunday after injuring himself in pregame warmups.
Fortunately for Chicago, it has a capable and battle-tested in-house replacement in veteran C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Since joining the Bears in late October, Gardner-Johnson has chipped in 33 tackles, three sacks, a forced fumble, and an interception in six games.
Along with announcing Gordon’s return to IR, the Bears elevated running back Brittain Brown and linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin from the practice squad ahead of their Week 15 matchup with Cleveland. Both players have now reached the maximum of three standard elevations this season. The Bears will have to sign either player to their active roster if they want to use them again.
Bears Activate CBs Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon From IR
When the Bears take on the Eagles in this year’s Black Friday game, they will do so with a pair of notable reinforcements in the secondary. Both Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon are set to play tomorrow. 
Johnson and Gordon will be activated from IR in time for Friday’s game, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Both players remained on IR through Week 12. Each have continued to make progress in their respective recoveries, however. As such, they will be available against the Eagles after drawing a questionable designation on the team’s injury report. The moves are now official.
Johnson seemed to be lost for the year after just one game played following his core muscle surgery. He returned to practice roughly two weeks ago, however, setting up an activation in relatively short order. Getting the two-time Pro Bowler back in the fold will represent a major boost for Chicago’s CB room, particularly on the perimeter.
Similarly, Gordon’s return will give the Bears their preferred option in the slot. His practice window opened last week. Gordon inked a three-year, $40MM extension in April, making him (like Johnson) a key figure on defense for Chicago now and into the future. Both starters will look to remain healthy the rest of the way as the Bears (8-3) attempt to maintain their lead in the NFC North.
With that said, takeaways have not been an issue for the team during its shorthanded stretch in the secondary. Chicago’s 16 interceptions lead the NFL, and Nahshon Wright has enjoyed a stellar campaign with five interceptions and 10 pass deflections through 11 games in a first-team role. It will be interesting to see if Wright’s role and playing time are affected with Johnson and Gordon back in the fold.
This news will leave the Bears with three IR activations for the remainder of the regular season. Offensive tackles Braxton Jones and Kiran Amegadjie remain on injured reserve at this time. Bringing one or both of them onto the active roster will leave Chicago near the limit of eight for the campaign.
Bears Place LB Tremaine Edmunds On IR
3:32pm: The Bears indeed placed Edmunds on injured reserve today as they expect him to miss four to six weeks because of his groin injury, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Chicago is leaving the door open for Edmunds to come back for a potential playoff run. Meanwhile, cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon will not yet be activated from IR.
Joining Edmunds on IR will be backup running back Roschon Johnson. He and recently activated fellow back Travis Homer were ruled out for tomorrow, so practice squad rusher Brittain Brown has been signed to the 53-man roster, along with practice squad linebacker Carl Jones Jr., to fill the newly vacant roster slots. Tight end Nikola Kalinic and offensive lineman Jordan McFadden have been designated as the Bears’ two standard gameday practice squad elevations who will revert back to the taxi squad after tomorrow’s game.
1:58pm: Although the Bears haven’t announced it, their media website indicates that they’ve placed linebacker Tremaine Edmunds on IR, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The Bears have already ruled out Edmunds for Week 12 with a groin injury.
If the Bears do put Edmunds on IR, it would require at least a four-game absence. Even if that doesn’t happen, a source told Biggs that Edmunds is likely to miss multiple weeks.
With the Bears at 7-3 and pushing for their first playoff berth since 2020, a long-term Edmunds absence would be an awful development for their defense. The career-long starter and former Bills first-round pick has been a key piece for the Bears since they signed him to a four-year, $72.5MM contract in 2023. Now in his eighth NFL season, Edmunds has been one of the league’s most productive linebackers this year.
Just 10 games into 2025, Edmunds has already matched a career high with four interceptions, and his nine passes defensed are tied for his second-highest mark. His 97.4% snap share ranks third among Bears defenders, trailing safeties Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard. With 89 tackles, Edmunds is on track to go over 100 yet again. The Virginia Tech product has recorded triple-digit tackles in all of his professional seasons, but his streak could be in jeopardy if he misses significant time.
Edmunds’ output this year has led Pro Football Focus to rank his performance 20th among 81 qualifying LBs. He and T.J. Edwards (ranked 13th) have formed a top-notch duo when healthy, though the latter is also out of commission. Multiple injuries have limited Edwards to five games this season. Edwards underwent surgery on a broken hand earlier this month, and he’ll miss his third straight game Sunday against the AFC North-leading Steelers.
Noah Sewell has filled in for Edwards, but he’s dealing with an elbow injury that will shelve him for the Pittsburgh game. That means the Bears won’t have any of their top three linebackers this week.
The injuries to Edmunds, Edwards, and Sewell leave D’Marco Jackson, fourth-round rookie Ruben Hyppolite, and Amen Ogbongbemiga as the only healthy LBs on Chicago’s active roster. Ogbongbemiga is the lone member of the trio who has made an NFL start (he picked up two with the Chargers back in 2021), but he has played exclusively on special teams in two games this season.
Bears Designate Kyler Gordon To Return From IR
The Bears designated cornerback Kyler Gordon to return from injured reserve on Wednesday, per a team announcement.
Gordon has dealt with multiple injuries already this season. His hamstring sidelined him for the first five weeks of the year, though he was not placed on an injured list. He went down again in Week 7 with groin and calf issues that landed him on injured reserve in late October.
The Bears expressed optimism last week that Gordon would return this year (along with fellow injured cornerback Jaylon Johnson). That optimism has materialized in the form of a return to practice, bringing Gordon one step closer to re-joining his team on game days.
Gordon broke out in 2024 as one of the league’s top slot corners and earned a three-year, $40MM extension this offseason. During his first stint on the sidelines this year, Nick McCloud stepped up as the Bears’ nickel. During his second absence, the Bears have relied on C.J. Gardner-Johnson in the slot, who arrived in Chicago shortly after Gordon was placed on injured reserve.
Head coach Ben Johnson praised Gardner-Johnson on Wednesday when asked about the team’s plans for Gordon’s return, saying (via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin) that the veteran safety is “a guy we’re going to want on the field.”
The Bears have a few different options to use both Gordon and Gardner-Johnson once Gordon is ready to play. Obviously, rotating the two early on would be an effective way to ease Gordon back into action, which may be a key consideration after multiple injuries this season. Gardner-Johnson has also played 47 snaps in the box (and 16 off the edge) in his last two games in Chicago, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), so he could take on a prominent role in
Gordon will have 21 days to practice with the team before he must be activated to the 53-man roster or revert to season-ending injured reserve.
Bears Expect CBs Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon Back This Year
The Bears have gotten off to a 6-3 start despite the long-term absences of standout cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon. Johnson played in one game before undergoing core muscle surgery in late September. Gordon appeared in two contests before groin and calf injuries sidelined him. Both defenders are on IR, but head coach Ben Johnson is confident they’ll return this season.
“We should be able to get them back at some point at the end of the season here,” he said (via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times). “To be determined on when the clocks start ticking here.”
A groin injury shelved Jaylon Johnson for a large portion of training camp and kept him out of the Bears’ season-opening loss to the Vikings. Johnson made his season debut in a Week 2 loss to the Lions, but he had to leave early with a new groin injury that required surgery.
A 2025 return was initially in doubt, though it now appears Johnson will have a chance to factor in as the Bears attempt to snap a four-year playoff drought. The two-time Pro Bowler is “hopeful” he’ll return to practice soon.
Gordon missed the first four weeks of the season with a hamstring injury. The slot specialist debuted in Week 6 and wound up going on IR after Week 7. He’ll miss his fourth straight game this Sunday against the Vikings. Gordon will be eligible to come back in Week 12, but the Bears haven’t opened his 21-day practice window yet. There’s no word on when that could happen.
Shortly after placing Gordon on IR, Chicago signed safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson on Oct. 29. Gardner-Johnson has held his own in two games since then while filling in for Gordon at nickel corner. The 27-year-old has already totaled 15 tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble. He played 72 of 73 defensive snaps during a nine-tackle, two-sack showing in a win over the Giants last Sunday.
While Gardner-Johnson has been a welcome addition for the Bears, their defense still ranks just 26th against the pass and 28th in points per game allowed. Looking to further upgrade the Bears’ secondary before the Nov. 4 trade deadline, general manager Ryan Poles pursued Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor.
Acquiring Taylor would have reunited him with Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, previously the Saints’ head coach, but a deal didn’t materialize. The Bears are now left to hope that Jaylon Johnson and/or Gordon will return down the stretch to bolster their defensive backfield and boost their playoff chances.
Bears Place Kyler Gordon, Braxton Jones On IR
The Bears have placed cornerback Kyler Gordon and offensive tackle Braxton Jones on injured reserve, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Both players will miss at least four games.
This represents another major setback for Gordon, a slot standout who missed the first four games of the season with a hamstring injury. Gordon returned to play the Bears’ past two games, a pair of victories in which he logged 81 defensive snaps and six tackles. He’s now dealing with calf and groin issues that will keep him out of the Bears’ lineup until at least Nov. 23.
Gordon’s injury troubles aren’t what he or the Bears had in mind when they shook hands on a three-year, $40MM contract extension in April. Worsening matters for Chicago, the team also has another key corner, Jaylon Johnson, on IR with a groin injury. Johnson has played just one game this year. If he comes back, it won’t be until later in the campaign.
Along with Gordon and Johnson, the Bears will also go without corner Tyrique Stevenson (shoulder) in Week 8 against the Ravens. The good news for Chicago, which has won four in a row since an 0-2 start, is that it won’t face injured starting quarterback Lamar Jackson on Sunday. Tyler Huntley will start in Jackson’s place.
After making 40 straight starts in his first three years in the NFL, Jones opened 2025 as the Bears’ top option at left tackle. However, the team benched Jones in favor of Theo Benedet after Week 4, relegating him to an unfamiliar backup role.
While teams had been eyeing Jones as a potential trade chip leading up to the Nov. 4 deadline, his knee injury may put the kibosh on that. The pending free agent should not require a long-term IR stint, though, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports. Second-round rookie Ozzy Trapilo will serve as the Bears’ primary backup at tackle in Jones’ absence.
In addition to placing Gordon and Jones on IR, the Bears made a few other moves Saturday, per Scott Bair of Marquee Sports. The Bears signed defensive lineman Jonathan Ford from their practice squad to the 53-man roster, and they elevated tight end Stephen Carlson and defensive back Dallis Flowers.
Bears CB Kyler Gordon To Play In Week 6
Coming off their bye week, the Bears will find themselves in a better position on the health front than their previous game. Most notably, cornerback Kyler Gordon is set to make his season debut on Monday.
Gordon has dealt with a hamstring injury since training camp, and he missed each of Chicago’s first four games as a result. The recently-extended cover man was a full participant in practice today, however, and he is not listed on the Bears’ injury report. Gordon will thus make his first regular season appearance of the year against the Commanders in Week 6.
Chicago’s secondary has been without Jaylon Johnson for essentially the entire campaign. He is currently on injured reserve while recovering from surgery after suffering a groin injury during his Week 2 debut. Johnson could return to action late in the year, but for the foreseeable future he will remain unavailable. That makes Gordon’s health particularly important.
The 25-year-old was a high priority this past offseason with respect to his contract situation. It came as no surprise when a long-term pact was worked out in April. Gordon landed a three-year, $40MM extension, cementing his status as a core member of Chicago’s defense moving forward and making him the latest slot corner to land an eight-figure AAV. Gordon was tapped as a candidate to see time on the outside in 2025, and with Johnson out of the picture it will be interesting to see if defensive coordinator Dennis Allen follows through with his summer plan on that front.
In other Bears injury news, linebacker T.J. Edwards is also back to full strength after suffering his own hamstring ailment. Edwards exited Week 2 as a result of the injury and he missed the following two games. When Chicago takes on Washington, though, the second level of the team’s defense as well as its secondary will have a key figure back in the fold.