Player
Kyler Gordon
DB · Bears
TFL progression for a nickel CB signals scheme trust — Chicago is increasingly deploying Gordon as a run-stopper and blitz piece, not just a slot cover man, which directly shapes how opposing offenses plan against him.
TFL rose every healthy season: 2, 3, 4 — a nickel CB building run-stop credibility.
TrendKyler Gordon — TFL progression
| Season | G | Tackles | TFL | PDs | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 13 | 48 | 2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| 2023 | 13 | 42 | 3 | 6 | 1.0 |
| 2024 | 15 | 41 | 4 | 5 | 0.5 |
| 2025 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1.0 |
A 2022 second-round pick out of Washington, Gordon has logged 10 tackles for loss across his first four seasons — rising in each of his first three healthy campaigns (2→3→4).
For a slot/nickel CB, posting 4 TFL in a single season is unusual: it signals Gordon is frequently assigned to attack the line of scrimmage, not just sit in coverage. Among 2022 draft-class DBs who played 41+ games through 2024, Gordon ranks 9th in TFL.
Why it matters. TFL progression for a nickel CB signals scheme trust — Chicago is increasingly deploying Gordon as a run-stopper and blitz piece, not just a slot cover man, which directly shapes how opposing offenses plan against him.
1.0 sack in 3 games in 2025 — a 9x rate jump from his first three seasons combined.
AnomalyGordon — sack rate by year
| Season | G | Sacks | QB Hits | TFL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 13 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2023 | 13 | 1.0 | 2 | 3 |
| 2024 | 15 | 0.5 | 2 | 4 |
| 2025 | 3 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 |
Through his first 3 NFL seasons, Gordon had 1.5 total sacks in 41 games — roughly one every 27 games. 2025: 1.0 sack in 3 games — one every 3 games.
That's a 9x rate increase. The Bears are clearly dialing up his blitz usage — and he's converting. His 1 QB hit in 3 games is on pace to double any prior single-season total.
Why it matters. A 9x sack-rate spike this early in the season is a scheme signal, not noise — it suggests Chicago has added Gordon as a designed blitz piece in their 2025 defensive package, which would meaningfully raise his weekly floor for pressure stats.
9th in his 2022 draft class for TFL through 2024 — top-10 run-stopper among a 50+ DB cohort.
Split2022 DB draft class — TFL leaders (2022-2024)
| Player | G | TFL |
|---|---|---|
| Roger McCreary | 45 | 21 |
| Kyle Hamilton | 46 | 18 |
| Jalen Pitre | 42 | 17 |
| Alontae Taylor | 45 | 14 |
| Kader Kohou | 46 | 13 |
| Jaquan Brisker | 35 | 11 |
| Trent McDuffie | 43 | 10 |
| Kyler Gordon | 41 | 9 |
Among 2022-class DBs with 15+ games through 2024, Gordon's 9 TFL ranks 9th — ahead of more than 40 classmates.
What separates Gordon is consistency: he went 2→3→4 TFL across his first three seasons, the only player in this class to show a clean single-digit TFL increase every healthy year. No regression, no plateau — an upward slope.
Why it matters. TFL production in a nickel CB indicates the defense trusts Gordon to attack downhill in run support — a trait that keeps him on the field in run-heavy situations where many coverage specialists get benched.
2.5 sacks place Gordon in the top 17% of all DBs/CBs drafted since 2018.
MilestoneGordon career pressure stats
| Stat | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Career sacks | 2.5 | 52nd of 309 DBs/CBs (since 2018, min 20 games) |
| Sack-free DBs | 44.7% | of the same cohort have 0 career sacks |
| QB hits | 5 | Career total |
| TFL | 10 | Career total |
Among DBs and CBs who entered the NFL since 2018 and have played at least 20 games, 44.7% have zero career sacks. Gordon's 2.5 career sacks in 44 games places him in the top 17% of that group.
For a nickel/slot corner who spent his first two seasons purely in coverage, accumulating any sack total is notable — and his 2025 trajectory (1.0 in 3 games) suggests the Bears are finally designing pressure packages specifically for him.
Why it matters. Pass-rush production from a nickel CB is a positional multiplier — it forces opposing offenses to track Gordon as a potential blitzer, which opens coverage opportunities and reduces the looks receivers get against him man-to-man.
Only one of two Bears DBs to appear in all four seasons since 2022 — the quiet constant.
RareBears DBs — seasons played 2022-2025
| Player | Seasons | Solo Tackles | TFL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jaquan Brisker | 4 | 188 | 12 |
| Kyler Gordon | 4 | 136 | 10 |
| Jaylon Johnson | 4 | 104 | 9 |
| Jaylon Jones | 4 | 62 | 1 |
| Josh Blackwell | 4 | 33 | 0 |
| Elijah Hicks | 4 | 58 | 0 |
Of the Bears DBs who have appeared in all four seasons from 2022 through 2025, Gordon is 2nd in solo tackles (136) and 2nd in TFL (10) — behind only Jaquan Brisker, who has played more games.
In a secondary that has cycled through starters, Gordon is one of the few constants: present every year, and adding meaningful production each season. That kind of positional durability in the secondary is rarer than the stat line suggests.
Why it matters. Continuity in the secondary is a coverage-scheme asset — it means Gordon understands every nuance of the Bears' nickel calls, reducing the mental-processing gap that young slot CBs typically struggle with in Year 1 and 2.
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