Gordon dealing with calf injury

Let’s hope he doesn’t find Joe Mixon’s trainers. Rapoport reports the “plan” is for Gordon to return a few weeks into the season and begin practicing shortly thereafter. He’s probably looking at a midseason timetable to return at this point.

The Bears also placed LB Noah Sewell (Achilles) and DL Shemar Turner (knee) on the reserve/physically unable to perform list. All three players must miss at least four games to begin the year.

It certainly looks like Gordon will hit reserve/PUP or injured reserve before the start of the season while he deals with this long-term calf injury. This makes both the Bears coach and GM telling you they’re frustrated with the situation.

Gordon has missed the majority of the offseason program with what has been deemed a soft-tissue injury. Not great! Gordon spent a lot of last year banged up with a hamstring issue that sent him to injured reserve. This is an inauspicious start for his fifth season in the NFL.

He was the only questionable Bears player, but after being activated from injured reserve earlier today it would have been surprising if he hadn’t gone. Inactive for the Bears are: QB Case Keenum, DB CJ Gardner-Johnson, LB Ruben Hyppolite II, DL Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, WR Jahdae Walker and OL Luke Newman.

Gordon made only three appearances for the Bears during the regular season but gives a struggling secondary a tangible boost as they prepare to host the Packers Saturday evening. The two teams split the season series but meet in the Wildcard Round.

Gordon got in a full session — everybody but Chicago’s three concussed rule-outs got in a full session today — and appears likely to give it a go against the Packers. Gordon has played just three games this year and would have to be considered at least a slight re-injury risk. If healthy, though, his return would be huge for Chicago. Fellow designated-to-return-from-IR-on-Tuesday pal OT Braxton Jones is also officially questionable for Saturday, but wouldn’t figure to have as big of a role as Gordon.

His 21-day practice window is open, though this is pretty clearly a four-day runway to get him ready for Saturday. Gordon has played just three games this year, Weeks 6 and 7, as well as Week 13, while struggling through a long-term injury. If healthy, he’d be a huge addition. The key words there are “if healthy.” The Bears also opened OT Braxton Jones’ 21-day window, though he might only make the roster as a backup at this point.

Gordon has been dealing with a hamstring injury this season and has appeared in just two games as a result. The fourth-year corner will join Jaylon Johnson in returning to the Bears’ secondary ahead of Week 13’s game against the Eagles, and is coming off a 2024 campaign in which he earned his highest PFF coverage grade of 76.0 while allowing just 472 yards and one touchdown on 57 targets while breaking up six passes.

Neither did Ruben Hyppolite (shoulder), LB Noah Sewell (elbow), or CB Tyrique Stevenson (hip) on the estimated report. The good news is that Kyler Gordon and Jaylon Johnson, both on IR, practiced in full on Tuesday. Still, down several linebackers, this could be a smash spot for the struggling Saquon Barkley on Black Friday.