The Chicago Bears were embarrassed by the Green Bay Packers in Week 1. To make matters worse, it sounds like Chicago will be without a key defensive starter for awhile.
Cornerback Kyler Gordon suffered a hand injury during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game, and he was immediately ruled out.
While head coach Matt Eberflus didn’t have an update on Gordon’s status on Monday, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune said Gordon is believed to have a broken hand that could sideline him 6-8 weeks.
If that’s the case, it’s a brutal blow for the Bears’ secondary. But it’s next-man-up mentality, which means we’ll be seeing a lot more of Josh Blackwell, who replaced Gordon at nickel cornerback.
Cornerback Jaylon Johnson explained why he’s confident that Blackwell could step in and fill the void of Gordon’s absence.
“What gives me confidence is I’ve seen him do it,” Johnson said, via the Chicago Tribune. “I mean, shoot, he played against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers last year and he did a really good job. He’s definitely been out there in the fire. … He knows how it feels to be out there in a real game playing against some real competition. So I’m looking forward to him going out there, learning that chemistry with the ones and then playing ball.”
Last season, Blackwell played in 15 games, including one start, as an undrafted rookie, where he totaled 12 tackles on defense. He was also a key special teams contributor, recording 11 tackles on special teams and forcing and recovering a fumble in Week 4 against the New York Giants.
Gordon’s injury is the latest blow for Chicago’s roster, as starting left guard Teven Jenkins is currently on injured reserve with an undisclosed leg injury.