Kyler Gordon remains sidelined as Bears prepare defense without him

Gordon remains on the active/PUP list while rehabbing the calf injury that has kept him off the practice field throughout training camp. The Bears placed him on PUP at the start of camp, and Ben Johnson recently described Gordon's timeline to return as "unknown."

Allen offered another update Wednesday, but there wasn't much new information.

"I just know he's going through the rehab process, quite honestly," Allen said. "That's something that I can't really put a lot of thought into right now. I've got to focus on the guys that we have."

Bears continue preparing without Kyler Gordon

Allen did express optimism that Gordon will eventually rejoin the defense.

"I'm hopeful that we'll be able to get him back sooner rather than later," Allen said. "And yet that's not anything that I control, so my pure focus has been on the guys that are out there and what we're doing with those guys."

Allen would obviously love to have Gordon back, but until the veteran nickel is cleared to practice, the Bears have to prepare as though he isn't part of the equation.

Gordon's injury history complicates matters even more. He appeared in only three regular-season games in 2025 before returning for Chicago's two playoff games.

His absence has forced the Bears to evaluate alternatives at nickel throughout camp. Allen said when training camp opened that Jaylon Jones, Cam Lewis and rookie Malik Muhammad were among the players Chicago planned to evaluate there while Gordon remained sidelined. Now, as the Bears kick off joint practices with the Cincinnati Bengals, it's Muhammad who appears to be the front-runner.

The Bears still have time before the regular season begins, but even if Gordon returns sometime soon, he'll need a ramp-up period. With each passing day, it's less and less likely he'll be available for Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers.