The Chicago Bears could have their secondary back at full strength when they face the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round of the 2025 NFL playoffs.
On the first day of the NFL postseason, Bears head coach Ben Johnson told reporters that “the hope” is for slot cornerback Kyler Gordon to start practicing again this week. The 26-year-old has been on injured reserve with a groin injury since December 13.
“That’s the hope,” Johnson said during his January 5 weekly news conference.
Gordon — who injured his groin in Week 14’s pregame warmups — has missed the mandated four games on IR and is eligible to have his 21-day practice window opened as soon as the Bears feel he is physically ready to return to practice. They would still need to activate him to the 53-man roster for him to play against the Packers, though.
The Bears (11-6) will host the Packers (9-6-1) at Soldier Field in the first round of the 2025 playoffs at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 10, as part of Wild Card Weekend.
How Much Can Bears Expect From Kyler Gordon?
Gordon’s return would offer a significant boon to the Bears defense, especially after C.J. Gardner-Johnson — Chicago’s fill-in for the nickel role — sustained a concussion and entered the league’s concussion protocol during Week 18’s loss to the Detroit Lions.
Whether Gordon is ready to return to full speed, though, is another question entirely.
Gordon has played just three games and 117 total defensive snaps for the Bears in 2025 and has not seen any game action since the team’s Black Friday win over Philadelphia. While he has been a valuable nickel defender in the past — enough so that the Bears signed him to a $40 million extension last April — that’s a lot of time on the sideline.
The best-case scenario for the Bears would be Gardner-Johnson clearing the league’s concussion protocol and Gordon returning to the active roster before Saturday’s game, giving them two options for their nickel role to rotate in against the Packers.
Will Rome Odunze Return for Bears Against Packers?
While Gordon’s return would offer a boost on defense, the Bears could also get back one of their top contributors on offense if wide receiver Rome Odunze is cleared to play.
Odunze has been working through a stress fracture in his left foot since late October. He initially tried to play through the injury, but it cost him his first career game in Week 14. The team then shut him down for the rest of the regular season after he experienced a setback in pregame warmups ahead of Week 15’s matchup with the Cleveland Browns.
Fortunately for the Bears, Odunze did return to practice as a limited participant in the final week of the regular season, earning a questionable designation against the Lions. While he ultimately did not play, his improved practice participation signals progress.
Odunze had been the Bears’ leading receiver through the first 14 weeks of the season, hauling in 44 receptions for 661 yards and six touchdowns in his first 12 performances. His 90 passing targets through the first 12 games also still lead all Bears pass-catchers.
The Bears should have more information about both Gordon and Odunze when they put out their first injury report for the wild-card matchup on Tuesday, January 6.
Bears Give Encouraging Kyler Gordon Injury Update Ahead of NFL Playoffs