Help is on the way for Chicago's secondary. Jaylon Johnson could return to the lineup as early as this week, according to recent posts in which his trainer tagged him on Instagram. What about his running mate, Kyler Gordon, though?
It's been relatively quiet on the Kyler Gordon front. That was, until they opened his 21-day practice window earlier today.
Bears designated Kyler Gordon for return and opened his 21-day practice window. pic.twitter.com/Zp9gq4RY0j
β Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 19, 2025
Gordon is technically eligible to play this week against Pittsburgh. Still, it appears unlikely that he'd be ready to go. He will probably have to string together a few practices before they feel comfortable bringing him back to the lineup.
The question from that point onward will become, what do they do with C.J. Gardner-Johnson? You could make a case that the 27-year-old has been the best player on the Bears' defense since the team signed him ahead of the Bengals game. He has three sacks over his first three games in Chicago and has been a stabilizing presence in relief of Gordon in the slot.
There is little doubt that Johnson's return will relegate Nahshon Wright (who has held up remarkably well considering the circumstances) to the bench. However, it's fair to question whether the Bears can afford to CJGJ off the field when their star nickelback is back in the lineup.
"CJ definitely is a playmaker, so he's a guy that we're definitely going to want on the field," Johnson said to the media earlier today. "When we feel good about Kyler being ready, we'll make sure we have a good plan in terms of how we set that up."
In my opinion, the Bears have to get their best players on the field as often as possible. For as good as Gardner-Johnson has been, Gordon is one of the premier nickelbacks in the entire league when healthy. He shouldn't be losing snaps to anybody if he's healthy enough to be out there. Dennis Allen knows that.
Dennis Allen says heβs talked to Kyler Gordon about taking on a second position to keep him on the field more. Outside corner and safety are both options π pic.twitter.com/GKO4fdTwO5
β CHGO Bears (@CHGO_Bears) April 17, 2025
With that said, the previous statement could also be applied to CJGJ. What does this mean for the snap count and personnel adjustments? Well, for starters, it means the Bears should be running dime coverage (where six defensive backs are on the field) much more often with the starters returning to the lineup. Teams are often susceptible against the run in dime, but Gordon and CJGJ are both stout against the run, so that shouldn't be as much of an issue in this instance.
Another positive aspect of this situation is that a handful of players in the Bears' secondary are extremely versatile players. Gordon played primarily on the perimeter at the University of Washington and has some experience there since joining the league. Gardner-Johnson tied for the league lead in interceptions while playing safety (as opposed to in the slot) during the '22 season with the Eagles. Jaquan Brisker has thrived playing close to the line of scrimmage throughout his career.
Chicago's secondary is suddenly full of chess pieces. In theory, opposing offenses won't have any idea who will be lining up where on any given snap. That's a fun spot to be in from a defense's perspective.
I'm sure Dennis Allen is salivating thinking about the possibilities with a full lineup at his disposal. It seems like we won't have to wait long to see that come to fruition.