The Chicago Bears activated CB Kyler Gordon from the PUP (physically unable to perform) list on Wednesday, opening his 21-day practice window and paving the way for a return to the field.
This does not mean that Gordon will play this weekend against the New York Jets. Gordon was required to miss the first four games of the 2026 season given his injury designation, so the earliest he could return would be the October 11 game against the Green Bay Packers.
Gordon has been sidelined with a calf injury
that he sustained in offseason workouts. He missed training camp and all of the preseason due to the injury.
It’s a familiar story for Gordon, who was once considered one of the top nickel cornerbacks in the NFL. He will have to earn that reputation back after playing in just three regular season games in 2025 and none so far this season. Gordon had two stints on injured reserve last year due to soft tissue injuries, though he did play in both of the team’s postseason games last January.
Bears coach Ben Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles have both sounded uncertain and uncommitted about Gordon’s status when asked during media sessions, leading to a great amount of speculation about frustration within the team’s Lake Forest headquarters about the star cornerback’s status.
There was also a report about frustration related to the medical personnel that Gordon has been working with outside of team headquarters.
That being said, the controversies will all become background noise if Gordon is able to return to the field at his previously high level of play. Time will tell if that’s the case.
