LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Bears nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon, who was limited in his first practice Wednesday since going on injured reserve for a second time this season, is being factored into the game plan for Saturday's wild-card game against the Packers.
Gordon was designated to return from his second IR stint of the season Monday after missing Chicago's past four games with a groin injury.
"Our plan is to have him be a part of it," Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said. "Today will really be the first day we go out there and go practice, get a chance to see him move around, but I'm excited about getting him back in the fold and seeing what he can do."
The Bears signed Gordon to a three-year, $40 million contract extension in April 2025, but multiple soft tissue injuries have limited the 2022 second-round pick to just three games this season. He missed a significant portion of training camp and Weeks 1-4 with a hamstring injury, was placed on injured reserve in Week 8 after sustaining calf and groin injuries in practice and then had a second IR stint after injuring his groin in pregame warmups at Green Bay in Week 14.
Adding Gordon back into the mix comes at a critical time for the Bears' secondary. C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who has been filling in for Gordon since signing with Chicago ahead of Week 9, is in the league's concussion protocol. Reserve nickel Nick McCloud has missed the past two games with an illness.
"It gives us another playmaker," Allen said of Gordon's return. "Obviously it's been unfortunate we haven't had him much this season, but he was a guy that, coming into the season, we were really excited about. I feel like he can help us make some plays and help us win."
While Gordon is expected to see his first game action since Week 13 at Philadelphia, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson's role continues to diminish.
Stevenson has seen his snaps decrease since Week 15 as fellow cornerback Jaylon Johnson picked up more playing time in his return from core muscle surgery. Stevenson played 33 snaps against the Browns, 27 against the Packers and then just 18 against the 49ers. He did not take the field in the regular-season finale against Detroit.
Coach Ben Johnson said Monday that the Bears wanted Johnson and Nahshon Wright to take the bulk of the snaps over Stevenson because they presented a better matchup for the Lions.
"I think when the season started, none of us thought Nahshon Wright was going to play the way that he played," Allen said. "So I think some of that has to do with Jaylon being out, and then Nahshon Wright playing really well, and so you kind of go with a hot hand a little bit."
