Kyler Gordon wants to be 'the dude' for Bears defense originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
When the Bears took on the Chiefs in their first preseason game, several rookies made strong impressions. Jaquan Brisker laid on a couple of heavy hits, and nearly came away with an interception. Jack Sanborn was all around the football and notched a pick and a fumble recovery. Trestan Ebner caught a touchdown, reeled off an impressive 34-yard kick return and displayed surprising physicality. Trenton Gill showed why the Bears used a draft pick to bring him to Chicago, and gave his teammates opportunities to pin the Chiefs deep in their own territory.
But Kyler Gordon was forced to sit and watch everything, sidelined by an injury.
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“I was itching to go be out there,” Gordon said. “It just looked so fun, like, ‘I wish I was playing right now,’ just waiting to go out there. It was cool to see the players out, the people that I know, the people I used to watch in college and middle school, just be like, ‘Damn, I'm here. It's time. I'm ready to do this stuff.’ It's exciting.”
What made it more exciting was the opportunity to try to defend a Patrick Mahomes-led offense, a serious test to take on in the first preseason game. With every single Mahomes snap, Gordon’s desire to get on the field was renewed.
“I was like 'Ah, I'm ready to compete. I want to be the dude, the obstacle for him,' and stuff like that."
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While Gordon obviously wanted to be out on the field with his teammates, competing in live game action for the first time as a pro, he’s not entirely disappointed with how things turned out. He knows he’ll have more opportunities to show what he can do, and now he gets to do it for the first time in front of friends and family in Seattle. Gordon went to high school in Everett, WA, just 30 miles north of Seattle, so he’s expecting a solid contingency to come watch him play for the first time.
And when that time comes for Gordon to finally step on the field for a professional game as a Chicago Bear:
“I'll be ready.”
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