The Bears are living up to their nickname, ‘The Monsters of the Midway’, by extending one of their best defensive players.
The Chicago Bears spent hands over fists to help shore up quarterback Caleb Williams’ offensive line this offseason, adding a trio of new veteran starters up front in the trenches. Now the team has shifted its focus and is paying top dollar to take care of their defense, on Sunday reaching an agreement with cornerback Kyler Gordon on a three-year, $40 million contract extension, according to ESPN.
Gordon’s deal includes $31.75 million guaranteed, according to the report. It also makes him the highest-paid slot cornerback in NFL history, averaging $13.3 million in annual earnings. The Indianapolis Colts’ Kenny Moore II previously held that distinction, landing a three-year, $30 million extension last offseason.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles had acknowledged a new deal for Gordon as a top priority for the team this offseason, not long after new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen specifically emphasized Gordon’s role.
“In our exit meetings at the end of last season, I told all the guys in terms of future, if it was contracts, coming back, anything like that, the important thing is I’ve got to get with our new coaching staff and kind of see how the different players fit based on the scheme,” Poles said on April 1. “We’ve been able to have those conversations, and I know Kyler is a guy that we want to be a part of this moving forward. So, the timing of that, I’m not sure how that all is going work out, but that is a priority.”
Embed from Getty ImagesAllen put Gordon on a pedestal, singling him out by name in January when asked about how good the Bears’ secondary could be.
“Kyler Gordon, I think, is an outstanding nickel player,” Allen said. “I have a vision for how we can utilize him. I think the foundation for what we want to do is there, and then I’m just excited about finally getting these guys in here and us having the opportunity to work with him and see exactly what we have.”
Originally a second-round draft pick out of Washington in 2022, the 25-year-old Gordon has not always been available, missing multiple games due to injury in each of his first three NFL seasons. When he takes the field, however, he has been productive, recording four fumble recoveries, nine tackles for loss and 17 pass deflections in his young career.
“I mean, I love Chicago,” Gordon said on March 12. “I love everything about it — the people, the history, the team, the community — so if this is where God tells me to be, this is where I will be, this is where I want to be.”
Gordon’s extension comes one year after the Bears signed fellow corner Jaylon Johnson to a lucrative new deal.
