ATLANTA -- Chicago Bears nickel corner Kyler Gordon has been activated off the physically unable to perform list and onto the 53-man roster, the team announced Saturday.
Gordon spent the offseason rehabbing a calf injury that landed him on the PUP list at the start of training camp. He was moved to reserve/PUP on Aug. 30 and had to sit out the Bears' first four games.
He returned to practice Sept. 30 and has been a full participant in every session over the past three weeks.
"He's done a great job taking everything that we've assigned him so far," coach Ben Johnson said Friday. "I feel good about him -- whether that's this week or next week -- I do feel good about him being able to contribute to this team and help us out, and there's a number of ways he can do that. But I'm encouraged with what I've seen so far."
In a corresponding move, the Bears placed defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo on injured reserve. Odeyingbo had already been ruled out for Week 6 with a quad injury sustained against the Green Bay Packers last week. Coach Ben Johnson said this week that Odeyingbo was expected to miss "some time" but that the Bears did not believe his injury was serious enough to warrant IR.
The Bears also released Xavier Woods, who started the last two games at safety, and signed defensive back Nick McCloud from the practice squad to the active roster.
Gordon was drafted 39th overall in 2022, the very first pick by Bears general manager Ryan Poles. Since then, the cornerback has totaled five interceptions, 17 passes defensed, 2.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.
Injuries were present during his first three seasons (2022-24) but did not stop the Bears from making him the NFL's highest-paid primary slot corner in April 2025 when he signed a three-year, $40 million extension with $31.25 million guaranteed.
Since signing his new deal, Gordon has struggled to stay on the field. He was limited to five games, including the playoffs, in 2025 due to multiple soft tissue injuries and spent two separate stints on injured reserve.
Last season, Gordon allowed 16 receptions on 24 targets for 243 yards and three touchdowns, according to Next Gen Stats. He allowed a passer rating of 139.4 in coverage, which was the third highest in the NFL among cornerbacks (minimum 20 targets), with only Trevon Diggs (154.6) and McCloud (142.2) allowing a higher passer rating.
After being sidelined for the Bears' offseason program and training camp, Gordon spent several weeks away from the team in September rehabbing on his own. He returned to Halas Hall ahead of Week 4 and made an impression on his coaches for how quickly he got up to speed on the practice field and in meetings.
"The one thing about Kyler, he's a sharp kid, or young man, I should say," Bears nickels coach Cannon Matthews said. "So that part I'm not worried about. Even just him being back in meetings, the questions that he asks has always been great that way. So honestly, there's still area for growth in that department, but I don't have any issue with him getting caught up to speed with the mental aspect."
The Bears could use some reinforcements in the secondary after Packers quarterback Jordan Love had six completions of 25-plus yards in Chicago's 31-7 loss.
Gordon has not played since the Bears-Rams divisional playoff matchup in January, so it is unrealistic to think he could play a full workload of 50 to 70 snaps, according to defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.
"I've said this before, I think that Kyler can help us win games," Allen said. "You know, when that time comes where he's able to be out there on the field and participate and help us win games, I'm looking forward to that time."