Bears News: Gordon wants someone to "enforce discipline" as his next head coach |
CHICAGO—So many things have not gone as fans had hoped this season. However, one bright spot is the emergence of cornerback Kyler Gordon. He was a solid cornerback his first two seasons but has taken a leap in his third year in the NFL.
In his first two years in the league, Gordon had five interceptions. While he does not have any interceptions, he has been around the ball, as he has three fumble recoveries this year. His only forced fumble of the year came against the Seattle Seahawks, giving the Bears offense a chance to get on the board, but they were unable to capitalize. Where Gordon has really improved cannot easily be quantified. He plays more aggressively while also playing smart. Gordon has five pass breakups this season, four of which came during Chicago’s current 10-game losing streak. In addition, he only scored two touchdowns this year. Although there are a lot of positives to look at, Gordon focuses more on the plays he missed to improve. “I look at the good and the bad plays and I just keep trying to elevate my game and grow in my areas the same way I do every year. I don’t necessarily look (as much at the) good, but just look at the weaknesses where I can improve and I obviously do more than the offseason, but obviously you want to do anything you can do to get the dub. So, just constantly finding more ways to produce more,” Gordon said. “For me, no matter what the circumstance is, (you got) to be consistent and constantly improve, continue to grow. That’s just all I’ve been about … You want to get W’s and wins and stuff like that because a lot more comes with that … At the end of the day, (losing) doesn’t change what I try to do as a player and as a person.” Former head coach Matt Eberflus was responsible for drafting Gordon in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. However, after a disastrous 2024 season that started out with a lot of promise, with a 4-2 record through the first seven weeks, Eberflus was fired after Chicago’s game against Detroit on Thanksgiving. Now, going into the offseason, the Bears need a head coach. There have been a lot of rumors out there about potential candidates such as former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel who also spent 14 years as a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs. They both developed winning cultures and took their teams to the playoffs. Carroll won a Super Bowl with the Seahawks and was one game short of a two-peat. Vrabel could never get the Titans to the Super Bowl, although Tennessee made the playoffs from 2019 to 2021 under him. Whoever becomes the next head coach will be pivotal in the franchise's future. When asked what Gordon wanted in his next head coach, the first thing that came to mind was a coach who enforced discipline. “For me, what I would say if I had to say anything - just come in here and just enforce discipline. That’s it. Just be strict,” Gordon said. “You need to be a players’ coach obviously for the players, but just come and be strict, disciplined, but just with passion and love. That’s it really. That’s all I say.”
