What to make of Kyler Gordon’s up-and-down rookie season

Photo from Quinn Harris Getty Images

The Chicago Bears have a lot of work to do this off-season. After starting off the season 2-1, the Bears dropped 13 of their final 14 contests to finish with a record 3-14. Although their performance as a team was uninspiring, to say the least, there were some notable individual efforts. 

On the offensive side of the ball, quarterback Justin Fields and Teven Jenkins turned heads. But on defense, it’s been harder to identify to key players. With both Roquan Smith and Robert Quinn being traded in-season and Eddie Jackson and Jaylon Johnson going on the IR, Chicago has been forced to mainly play unproven players. 

It’s been during this stretch that fans have seen the emergence of rookie cornerback Kyler Gordon. Selected 39th-overall in the draft, Gordon struggled to find his place in the Bears’ secondary early on in the year.

Gordon’s early season lows were highlighted in Week 2 when the Green Bay Packers picked on him repeatedly. Gordon made multiple errors in both man and zone coverage, leading to a 27-10 defeat.

However, as the season has progressed Gordon has looked much more comfortable. He has been one of the best tackling cornerbacks on the roster, which has made him a contributor in the run game. 

Gordon has also displayed high-level ball skills, recording three interceptions. Still, Gordon’s coverage skills have not been nearly as consistent as many had hoped. He allowed 63 receptions in 14 games, and quarterbacks had a 110.8 passer rating when targeting him. 

Cornerback is widely considered one of the harder positions to play as a rookie. While players like Sauce Gardner and Tariq Woolen have made seamless transitions to the NFL, that is seldom the case. 

As a rookie, Gordon’s athleticism and open field tackling mostly compensated for his spotty coverage, but being a liability in the pass game puts serious limitations on a corner back’s value. He has the athletic ability and ball skills of an elite corner but has performed like a backup in coverage. This makes him a very difficult projection. 

Despite all the ups and downs, fans should be encouraged by Gordon’s progress. His strong finish to the year is very promising, and a year of experience under his belt should only benefit him in 2023 and beyond.