With new contract done, Kyler Gordon turns focus to Bears 'getting where we want to get'
The week before the NFL Draft, Bears general manager Ryan Poles decided to pay cornerback Kyler Gordon for what he was:
Perhaps Poles’ best college success story.
Gordon, a second-round draft pick in 2022 and the first player ever selected by Poles, signed a three-year, $40 million contract extension Tuesday that ties him to the Bears through 2028. The deal, which Gordon agreed to Sunday, makes him the highest-paid slot cornerback in the NFL.
Both sides considered an extension an offseason priority entering the final year of Gordon’s rookie contract.
‘‘I feel like . . . we’re all thinking about where we want to take this team more than what I’m doing,’’ Gordon said. ‘‘At least that’s where my mind is, too. . . . Really get to the main priority, which is building this team and getting where we want to get in this NFL season.’’
Former coach Matt Eberflus’ comfort level in terms of playing rookies helped Gordon finish third on the Bears in defensive snaps in 2022. He finished eighth in 2023 and seventh last season.
‘‘I’m the type of person where I kind of want to see the whole menu right away,’’ Gordon said. ‘‘Just so I can keep digesting as much as I can.’’
That left new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen with plenty of film to watch, though not much personal experience to lean on. Gordon didn’t go to Halas Hall for the start of voluntary offseason workouts last week. That meant Poles gave him an extension before the new coaching staff could work with him in person.
That meant a lot to Gordon.
‘‘I’m excited to have a new perspective and learn new things from these coaches and improve myself as a player, getting different tools from everyone around me,’’ he said. ‘‘I feel like it’s just another chance to upgrade myself and build that rank up. And, yeah, set these challenges and break them.’’