The Chicago Bears, like the rest of the NFL, are making their final preparations for the 2025 draft. In light of that, the Bears took care of some in-house business, agreeing to terms on a new long-term contract with cornerback and former second-round pick Kyler Gordon.
Gordon, 25, was the No. 39 overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.
He has become one of the better nickelbacks in the league, boasting versatility and a high football IQ that has led to this new deal.
“ESPN source: Bears reached agreement today on a three-year, $40 million extension that includes $31.25 million guaranteed with CB Kyler Gordon,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on X on April 13. “The deal now makes Gordon the NFL’s highest-paid slot corner and contractually ties him to Chicago through the 2028 season.”
Gordon has started 34 of his 42 games played as a pro, but has never played below 78% of the defensive snaps in any season.
Kyler Gordon Faces Big Change on Bears Defense
Gordon failed to record an interception for the first time in 2024. He still finished with career-highs in total tackles (75) and fumble recoveries (3) to go with 5 pass deflections, one forced fumble, and 0.5 sacks.
The 6-foot DB spoke glowingly about his role as a “mini QB” under former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus.
That role allowed for a lot of freedom.
“I’m locked in 24/7. It’s a week[-long] process,” Gordon told Clocker Sports in November 2024. “That’s part of my routine to be on every single detail: Getting up, having meetings with him [Overstreet], making sure that this is this, this, this. First-down details, third-down details, red zone details, my communication skills, me already having to know what play is coming ahead and already thinking ahead of the play to get communication to people quicker. There’s a bunch of different things that I go over to be on top of my details.
“My position, it’s almost like a mini QB position. So I enjoy it. I have fun. I got the keys to the car a little bit. So, yeah, I’m gonna go.”
It remains to be seen how Gordon will be utilized under new head coach Ben Johnson and, more specifically, new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. Allen’s New Orleans Saints boasted the eighth-lowest blitz rate in the NFL last season, which could limit Gordon.
Kyler Gordon’s Contract Turns Focus to Jaquan Brisker
Nine selections after the Bears took Gordon, they picked safety Jaquan Brisker. He has also quickly become a vital part of the defense.
Notably, he is also in the final year of his rookie contract. Brisker, who turns 26 on April 20, played in five games in 2024, missing the rest of the season with a concussion. He has said that he is long recovered from the lingering aftereffects of the injury.
Perhaps the Bears are waiting to see how he returns to the field this spring.
However, Gordon had also missed more time than his teammate entering the season. The fact that Brisker’s issue has repeatedly been concussions certainly matters.
“Really, I had to retrain my nervous system,” Brisker told CasinoBeats’ Kyle Odegard in an interview published on March 31. “That is why I took so long. It wasn’t my brain, it wasn’t my head. It was really my nervous system, and once I retrained that, I felt great.”