Back in September, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles did not sound optimistic about cornerback Kyler Gordon’s future with the team when he was rehabbing.
“I don’t know, I would hope so,” Poles said regarding Gordon, who was on injured reserve at the time.
“I think anytime you have an injury, and again, I’m not going to get all into the details of this, I wish I had more for you all,” Poles added. “Anytime you have an injury and you’re coming back from something there’s discomfort that you have to push through. That’s what it comes down to. We haven’t been able to get over that hump, and we’re not progressing as fast as we would like. That’s really all I have to say about that.”
It seems that these comments made by the Bears GM back in September made Gordon feel a certain type of way, and he had some words after his fantastic 2026 season debut performance in the win over the Atlanta Falcons.
Bears CB Kyler Gordon Breaks Silence on General Manager Ryan Poles’ Previous Comments
Speaking with reporters after Week 6’s win against the Falcons, Kyler Gordon was asked about Ryan Poles’ previous comments and appeared visibly upset, saying, “Yeah, I mean, it is what it is. I can’t control what someone else says. By the end of the day, I’m going to be out there and do my job and do my best ability and be the player in the league at my spot.”
“Unfortunately, it is what it is.”
Poles was likely upset with how long it was taking Gordon to come back to the field, considering he just handed him a three-year, $40 million extension last offseason, but what you say can still have an effect on someone, especially a player like Gordon who went through a lot mentally.
“As much as it sucked, it was a nice little check-off for myself to reinforce all the things I believe in, keeping strong mentally, staying positive, and locking in on those small details,” Gordon said. “Reinforcing that positive thought regardless of the situation to get back to this point and do what I did today.”
He had a fantastic outing against Atlanta, racking up three sacks, three tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, and two forced fumbles in just 16 snaps played.
Head Coach Ben Johnson Comments on Gordon’s Return
After the game, head coach Ben Johnson commented on Gordon’s return, saying, “He was ready to play. I talked with Kyler yesterday morning and said, ‘I think we want to activate you. Are you ready to go?’ And he said, ‘Absolutely,’ and he sure enough was. Huge spark there for us on defense. He’s so twitchy, hard to block as a blitzer, and tight in coverage. Those snaps that he had were huge ones for us today.”
Johnson, like Ryan Poles, was frustrated with Gordon’s slow recovery and would usually keep his comments short and blunt when speaking to the media in recent months.
But it sounds like he’s happy to have Gordon back on the field.
Bears’ Kyler Gordon Has Telling Reaction to Ryan Poles’ Previous Doubts