Unbothered Kyler Gordon could be lethal weapon for Bears' defense in 2023

CHICAGO -- The message was clear. It couldn't have been any louder.

Titans quarterback Malik Willis moved left on the first play of Saturday's preseason game at Soldier Field and hit a wide-open Chris Moore for a big gain. But as soon as Moore caught the ball and turned upfield, Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon blasted him. The ball came out as Moore hit the ground, and Gordon, nicknamed Spider-Man by head coach Matt Eberflus, started flexing and celebrating. Moore was ruled down, but Gordon made his point.

This isn't the Kyler Gordon who teams picked on ad nauseam last year. This isn't the nickelback whose brain and engine were redlining all of his rookie season.

No, this Kyler Gordon is different.

“Really in that zen mode," Gordon said after the Bears' 23-17 win about how different he feels in Year 2. "Like, I just can’t be bothered. I’m only focused on – it’s like an ultra focus. I know what to expect. I’m confident in what I am about to do. My eyes are in the right spot. There’s just nothing bothering me. I don’t feel hectic at all. Everything is just smooth and calm.”

Gordon looked smooth and calm Saturday as he leveled two massive hits on Titans receivers on Tennessee's opening drive. Well, as smooth and calm as a heat-seeking missile can look.

The Bears drafted Gordon in the second round of the 2022 draft because of his unique movement skills, coverage ability, physicality, and high football IQ. They asked a lot of him during a rocky rookie season.

Probably too much, if we're being honest.

It took time for Gordon to find his footing in the NFL. That's commonplace, especially for cornerbacks. Even more so for cornerbacks asked to bounce inside and out, depending on the defense.

Things started to normalize for Gordon about a third of the way through last season. He understands it might not have been evident. A concussion slowed his development, and opposing quarterbacks picked at him like a scab on a Bears defense full of warts.

But Gordon spent the offseason digesting film. He watched his own mistakes and cataloged them. Then he watched them again. After that, he started studying slot receivers he expects to face this season.

All that offseason work created the Gordon that announced himself Saturday.

“I had to just tell myself to breathe and do my thing," Gordon said. "Spend more time in the film room after the first half of the season. That’s when I started to take off. Being able to really settle down this offseason and amp up all that stuff and fix what I needed to fix. I feel great now.”

The Bears have astronomically big expectations for their defense this season. That might seem odd, given the defensive product the Bears put on the field last season.

But wholesale changes were made, either by outside addition or internal improvement.

Gordon's expected jump is the key cog, though, along with the addition of linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue.

The nickelback makes head coach Matt Eberflus' defense hum. He has to be able to quickly identify things and seamlessly adjust his coverage as the checks are made. He has to always have his eyes in the right place and bring a physical presence in run support.

That physicality, the tone-setting ability, is what Gordon prides himself on. He understands it might not have always been evident last year. But he wants it known that that's what he's about when he steps between the lines.

A finesse corner he is not.

“I feel like it’s been a little noticeable. It could have been a little shaky in the beginning," Gordon said. "I’m just working my ass off really. I’m going to have fun, I’m going to fly around and I’m going to hit. That’s what I love to do. I love this game. So that’s what I’m about, really.”

The Bears' first-team defense has been vibing off each other throughout training camp. They have an unshakable belief that they can dominate in 2023.

Gordon might just be the key to that vision materializing.

"It was a short little showcase of what I'm ready to do this year," Gordon said.

There's more where that came from. The Bears need there to be.

Click here to follow the Under Center Podcast.