The playing status of another Chicago Bears starting cornerback is in jeopardy for Week 1’s Monday Night Football showdown with the Minnesota Vikings.
The Bears officially added starting slot cornerback Kyler Gordon to the injury report on Saturday with a hamstring injury, ruling him questionable to play against the Vikings.
Gordon went through the entire week of practice as a full participant in practice, but he had missed several practices in training camp with a hamstring injury, indicating that he experienced a setback with the injury heading into the first game of the new season.
Gordon is now one of three Bears cornerbacks who will carry an injury designation into Monday night’s season opener. Pro Bowl starter Jaylon Johnson (groin) and backup slot cornerback Josh Blackwell (groin) are also both questionable to play in Week 1.
The Bears will kick off against the Vikings at Soldier Field at 8:15 p.m. ET on Monday.
Cornerback Health Issues Persist for Bears in Week 1
The Bears have seen injuries — and one unexplained personal issue — deplete their cornerback room in the past few months leading up to the start of the 2025 season.
Johnson, Gordon and Blackwell have all missed time while banged up, with Johnson only just returning to the practice field for the first time in months earlier this week. The Bears also had to shut down Terell Smith (knee) and rookie fifth-rounder Zah Frazier (personal) for the entire season, losing two expected rotational contributors.
That leaves Tyrique Stevenson, Nahshon Wright and Nick McCloud as the only healthy cornerbacks on the Bears‘ roster as they ready to face Justin Jefferson and the Vikings.
While the Bears have continually expressed optimism that Johnson will play against the Vikings, the depth issues before them are striking. They spent most of camp trying to figure out whether Stevenson or Wright was better suited to start for them as their No. 2 boundary cornerback opposite Johnson, ultimately sticking with Stevenson again.
Now, there is a chance the Bears will need to rely on them both in their first game.
Bears Could Be Without 3 Defensive Starters vs. Vikings
The Bears will hold out hope that they can clear Johnson and Gordon to play against the Vikings on Monday night. But if neither one plays, the Bears could find themselves without three of their top defensive starters in their first game of the new season.
The Bears will have a decision to make in the pregame about starting linebacker T.J. Edwards, whom they listed as “doubtful” in their final injury report for Week 1’s game. Edwards has not missed a game since the 2021 regular-season finale when he was still in Philadelphia, but he seems unlikely to play after sitting out the full week of practice.
If Edwards is inactive, the Bears will need to lean on third-year Noah Sewell and fourth-round rookie Ruben Hyppolite II at linebacker alongside veteran Tremaine Edmunds. The Bears also added D’Marco Jackson off waivers for depth during 53-man roster cuts.
Running back Roschon Johnson (foot) is the only other Bears player with an injury designation heading into Monday night’s prime-time game against the Vikings.
Bears Add Starting CB to Injury Report vs. Vikings After Setback