Injured $40 million Bears star hoping to make season debut vs Commanders

Alex Kirschenbaum

Injured $40 million Bears star hoping to make season debut vs Commanders image

Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

A long-hurt Chicago Bears standout is on the mend, and apparently looking for his first action of the season next week.

Per Sean Hammond of The Chicago Tribune, recently re-signed Bears nickel cornerback Kyle Gordon intends to suit up for his club's "Monday Night Football" clash against the Washington Commanders next week.

“I will be playing, yes,” Gordon said after a Tuesday practice.

Not your big brother's Commanders

After vaulting back to relevance on the back of then-rookie signal caller Jayden Daniels, Washington is off to a respectable 3-2 start this season, good for second in the NFC East behind the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles (4-1).

Chicago, meanwhile, has eked out a decent 2-2 record thus far behind their own second-year quarterback Caleb Williams, picked No. 1 over Daniels in the 2024 draft. The Bears are hoping their early bye week will help already-injured players like Gordon heal up enough for a midseason push.

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The Bears have been banking on a big showing in 2025 from Gordon, whom the team re-signed to a three-season, $40 million deal during the offseason.

Hammond notes that both running back Travis Homer and defensive end Austin Booker, who had previously also been on injured reserve, are back in practice and also hoping to return to the field next week.

Gordon vented about the frustrating timing of his ailment, suffered just prior to the Bears' Sept. 8 season opener.

“Very annoying,” Gordon said. “It’s the first game of the season, Monday night, everyone’s watching. You’re the only team playing. There was so much hype around it. I want to play in those games, those big-time games. So (it was) definitely sad. But it is what it is. Got another one. Come back full circle. Monday night again.”

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Last year the 5-foot-11, 200-pound Washington product, 25, logged 75 total tackles (48 solo), one forced fumble, three recovered fumbles and 0.5 sacks while playing 15 regular season games for Chicago.

“I love this game,” Gordon said. “Obviously I love playing ball, being out there and being in the building, being able to actually contribute to the team.”

Alex Kirschenbaum

Alex Kirschenbaum is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He grew up a devout Bulls fan, but his hoops fanaticism now extends to non-Bulls teams in adulthood. Currently also a scribe for Hoops Rumors, Sports Illustrated's On SI fan sites Newsweek and "Small Soldiers" director Joe Dante's film site Trailers From Hell, Alex is an alum of Men's Journal, Grizzlies fan site Grizzly Bear Blues and Bulls fan sites Blog-A-Bull and Pippen Ain't Easy, among others