Can the Bears 26-Year-Old Cornerback Be Relied on in 2026?
The Chicago Bears will have quite a different look in 2026, coming off their most successful season in seven years. Offensively, the Bears will be without wide receiver D.J. Moore and will rely more on their younger stars, Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III. The major reset came on defense, however, with the losses of safeties Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, and cornerback Nahshon Wright. Chicago would end up acquiring safety Coby Bryant and linebacker Devin Bush to help alleviate the losses on defense. Through the NFL Draft as well, the Bears drafted safety Dillion Thieneman from Oregon to upgrade their defensive back room. Through all the changes, cornerback Kyler Gordon remains with the team and will play his fifth straight season with Chicago. Unfortunately for both Gordon and the Bears, some bad news struck about the health of the versatile corner before OTAs started around the league.
Gordon is already dealing with a soft tissue injury, which will prevent him from being able to get started this offseason, a week away from OTAs. The former Washington Huskie’s availability has been a bit of an issue since last year, missing 14 games due to soft tissue injuries. These included his calf, groin, and hamstring. Once Gordon was eventually able to return, it immediately enhanced the play of the defensive backs on the field. He’s proven to have a major impact on the defense, but injuries may make his future in Chicago questionable. The severity of the 26-year-old’s current soft tissue injury is unknown, but it will be one to monitor as players begin practicing once again. Fortunately for the Bears, they’ll have quite a few options in the scenario Gordon can’t be relied on this season.
While Thieneman was brought in to start at safety, he’s been learning corner as well during the rookie minicamp. The former Oregon Duck was also able to learn the position in college, where their defense required a lot of versatility to play everywhere on the field. If the Bears get into a desperate scenario or see that Thieneman has better success at corner, they have that option at their disposal. They’ll also have their fourth-round selection, cornerback Malik Muhammad. Drafted from the University of Texas, Muhammad brings plenty of flexibility to the position and plenty of experience. He spent three seasons with Texas, earning three interceptions, 97 tackles, and a sack in his career. Unlike last season, the Bears will have plenty of depth to cover any potential injuries. In the case of Gordon, he may need to prove he can be healthy this year or risk potentially losing his starting spot on the team.
