Bears report: Kyler Gordon, Colston Loveland set to return from injury against Commanders

Bears report: Kyler Gordon, Colston Loveland set to return from injury against Commanders

All right, Grody, you’re the man. What do we need to know today at Halis Hall? It is good to be back out here, gentlemen. The Bears with a light practice returning to Halis Hall indeed after the by-week with a 2 and2 record and a lot going on. I want to get right to it and that is good news on the injury front. It sounds like sounds like Kyler Gordon will be back to play on Monday Night Football against the Washington Commanders from his hamstring injury. Ready to play against the Commanders. He has not played in a game this year. For full context, I was hovering around Kyler Gordon’s locker and I just asked him off mic if he was going to play. He said yes. Then I said, “May I turn the mic on?” He said yes. More people gathered and here’s how it sounded. Kyler, are you gonna play Monday against Washington? I will be playing. Yes. That is confirmed. You are completely healthy. We will see a clear injury report for you. Yeah. No pump fakes. No pump fakes. Okay, good. We don’t want pump fakes. How much does it mean to be back? How happy are you about that? A lot. You know, I’ve been uh annoyed, you know, not playing, but like mood been good. Uh just attacking rehab, but definitely excited to be out. That’s all I’ve been looking forward to and know just playing with my guys and uh helping the team. What’s annoying about not being out there? Uh not being able to play. You know, I love this game. Obviously, I love playing football and being out there and uh just helping everyone around me and in the building uh and being able to actually contribute to the team. That’s annoying not to be able to do that. So, uh now I’m finally being able to do that. Sorry. When they have a turnover party like they did last week, is that where you get the most itchy? Oh, definitely. Definitely. Super super excited for everybody, but I definitely want to make a couple more myself. So, trying to keep that going and uh that’s what I’m looking forward to. You guys have had some consequential games in Washington the last two years. Two years ago, you crushed them on I think it was Thursday Night Football, DJ Moore goes off and then last year the chaos at the end. What What’s the talk in the locker room specifically about last year and the Hail Mary and you guys should have won and everything that went wrong with that game and the season? Yeah, honestly, there hasn’t been a ton of talk as far as like what happened last season. I don’t really think anyone’s really focused on that except for just going out there and winning. You know, I wasn’t even there last year. So, for me, it’s like definitely get to go over there and like play with everybody and uh and change change the narrative. Uh that’s a goal. I love it that that you got that many questions off with Kyler Gordon and some good back and forth between you two. What have the coaches said and we have to go all the way back to preseason now about what his impact on this defense could be? Yeah, Lawrence. I mean, it’s it’s sort of one of Dennis Allen’s most important pieces in terms of the creativity that he wants to use with Kyler Gordon, and that is to put him in all sorts of different places. Yes. Primarily, and you know, he he thrives in the slot, but look for him to drop back sometimes, look for him to maybe play on the outside sometimes. Um, you know, this is a guy that they look the organization identified as somebody. Obviously, they gave him the big money in the offseason. And then Dennis Allen comes in here talking big about what he can do. He’s really one of the most important pieces. The way, at least the way Dennis Allen made it sound, the Bears defensive coordinator early on in the season in terms of the versatility that he has. And you know, it’s kind of been uttered out here that, you know, they gave him the big money and now we would like him to do more. And Kyler Gordon has been raising his hand since he walked in this building a few years ago to do more. every single slot cornerback in the league, I guarantee you, would love to be kicked to the outside. And I just wonder if he will have some opportunities. I think too, Lawrence, it’s just so nice that there is somebody back in that secondary with J, you know, with Jaylen Johnson not being back there. It’s just been so confused at times. And we know Tyreek Stevenson has gotten better and he’ll be a topic of a lot that’s going on this week. Um, but there’s been just too many backups and too much depth that they’ve had to dip into. So, it feels like they have a real adult back in the room in the secondary. That’s great stuff, Gro. And it’ll be interesting to see what the usage is with Terrell Smith out as well. Nan Wright has played a lot. And frankly, it’s been exposed um at different times in coverage. So, you wonder who gets a shot outside. If it’s not Kyler, do they like the backup nickel? They’ve been playing Nate Nate Mloud. So, you know, it’ll be very interesting to see the usage. All right. So, that’s big. Kyler back is big. Um how about Colston Loveland? We have been missing him as well. Yeah, I had similar success with Coloulston L. I feel like I did really well today in the locker room with you. Good job. Yeah, thank you. Thank you. I needed I needed that boy. No, I I I needed an add boy. I was talking to again off just cuz I because I don’t know if these guys want to talk. It’s weird because it’s not an injury report day today. So, it’s a long week. So, I don’t know like what can go on record and what can’t. So, I had the mic off. I said, Coloulston, how you feeling? You going to play? And he’s like, “Oh, I feel so much better.” I’m like, “So, you’re playing?” He’s like, “Yeah, I think so.” Again, microphone comes on and here’s the way it sounded with Coloulston Love. Feel better? Yeah. Yes, sir. I feel good. Feel good. I’m ready to ready to get at it this weekend. So, you feel like you’re good to go Monday. You’ll be able to play. You’ll be full force. Yeah. Yes, sir. Yeah. Yeah. Feel good. Got obviously great trainers and great people around me to help me get back on track and Yeah, I’m looking forward to it. So, you do anything in the bye-week besides, you know, workout? Just stayed here and rehabed. Uh I was able to go to uh the city and grab some dinner uh one night which is cool at uh Travoli. Travoli is a good spot. Um but other than that, no, I just been chilling. Did uh did Cole have a similar hip injury at one point in time as career? Oh yeah. Were you guys able to commiserate a little bit on that? Yeah. Yeah, he was telling me about it. Yeah, he he was giving me some pointers and kind of how to deal with it. So yeah, it was it was good. So let’s just get to the important stuff. Uh, Trivoly Tavern is elite. Absolutely elite. 100% elite. Especially outside if the weather’s nice and you’re sitting out there, you feel you feel like you’re in France. It’s unbelievable. With the the nice brick walk up. Yeah. Whatever that is. You want You want to talk about elevated pigs in a blanket? Oh, I’ve never had it. They got it. Great Caesar salad, by the way. Really? Good to know. One of the best in the city. Well, where is it? Tripoli. It’s uh it’s right off of of Green and Randolph. Yeah. So, it’s in the restaurant um district and but it’s like tucked away like there’s a little there’s a little walkway to it that makes you feel like you’re in Europe. Let’s just say it’s a fine place for a rehabbing tight end to go. It’s just I quite quite honestly for a 20-year-old to go there and appreciate it. I’m very proud of Coloulston Love. Shout out to him. He’s only 20 years old. Isn’t he like 20 years old? That’s ridiculous. He uh he was proud of that too. Like he was making sure he knew that he was definitely recommending. I’m guessing he had a nice experience there. Maybe somebody recognized him. Maybe they were like, “We’re going to give you barely 21, but still the fact that a 21-year-old could go to that place and appreciate is phenomenal.” All right. So, this is exciting cuz like so Bear is at at at much more full strength with Kyler Gordon on defense, much more full strength with Colston Lovelin on offense. I do we know for sure what the offensive line is going to look like growth. So like are we locked and loaded on Benadet at the left and and and Darnell Wright back on the right? Yeah, that’s interesting. Again, no no injury report. So I don’t have and and I did not have the same success with Darnell Wright in the locker room that I had with the other two, Kyler Gordon and Coloulston Lovelin. I did say hello to him and he said he looked up, said hello, and then put his head back down. So I was like, “Okay, we’re not going to get anywhere here with Darnell Wright.” was um he was out there today on the the practice field. Uh but that does not or no, you know what? I don’t think he was I don’t think he was on the practice field. My my guess is I would not be surprised at all to see Theo Benedict again as your left tackle and at least for one more week Azie Trapillo at the at right tackle. Now, no guarantees on that right now. Uh, but I would not be surprised if if that’s what we’re seeing um when Darnell Wright is healthy. I expect that he would slide back in at the right tackle position. I’d be shocked if he didn’t. However, Ben Johnson, and this was probably just him being a coach and keeping everybody on edge just a little bit, did say, “Look, you know, once once Darnell Wright is healthy, we’ll see. We got a lot of good tackles.” And he was very vague about what then would be Azie Trapillo’s job on the Bears team. My guess is he goes right back to being a backup and Darn All right is the guy at right tackle. But they do like to keep these guys guessing on the offensive line. So were you surprised at this switch at tackle? I was. Yeah, I was very surprised. And and honestly, Lawrence, I still think that Braxton Jones is probably still your best bet to play the position, but in terms of what they want to do as the season goes on and maybe even into the future, Theo Benedict is the guy. And it feels like they’re ready to give it a shot right now. That’s just the feel that I get. Nobody has told us. As a matter of fact, I asked Ben Johnson straight up during his press conference today, “Do you know who your left tackle is going to be?” He smiled and gave me kind of a smart ale answer saying, “Yes, I know who our left tackle will be.” Then a big bleeping grin and I said, “Okay, so you’re not going to tell us.” So they’re not even telling us right now um what what exactly it’s going to be. So they know that this is a big deal, but I think they’re trying it. I think that they’re trying Theo Benedict at left tackle. And you very well could see Braxton Jones sitting down against Washington. I like that he wants to keep people guessing and keep them fighting uh for their jobs and security. As long as you’re being honest as you do it. Um I think that can work out well. Um but we’ll see. Very interesting. What else you got, Gro? Yeah, let’s go to let’s go to DJ Moore’s locker. And just a little bit of context on the conversation with DJ Moore today. Ben Johnson told us that the offense is a work in progress. He was pretty harsh about it in his opening statements to us or after we asked him some questions about the offense. Um you know talked about the penalties and you got to with the screen pass game is bad like you know was very critical of it. So um and also just for background on this too so you understand the full bite that you’re about to hear. I was also chatting with DJ Moore before the mics came on and I was I was we were reminiscing about two years ago. Remember when DJ Moore had that massive 200yard plus game against Washington? It felt like a coming out party for Justin Fields that day. That’s going to come up in this conversation. But first first the nuts and bolts. DJ Moore on on Ben Johnson saying the offense is a work in progress. Uh the exact same way he laid it out to y’all. But more stern and we got to get it fixed now. and and uh I think we can do it. Yeah. Like like a real coach. Like he’s talking to y’all not from like y’all his players. Like we the players that got to go out there and do it. He’s just relaying the message to y’all. So of what we have to do. What do you think you and this group can do better as a whole group? Um everything. I mean we we only two and two. So I mean there’s something we got to fix a few things uh which coach already hit on. So, just got to go out there and finish and block our ass off. Learned about Caleb the last two years in game on the line situations. End of the game, ball in his hands, drive. Uh, what have I learned? A lot of you can see from last year we couldn’t finish out the game and this year we all on the same page. Just knowing what’s the plays that we know that are coming in and and just going execute. So, you don’t think about that Washington game from from two years ago or what? Smoke. Uh, no. Cuz I don’t I mean everybody is posting it right now, but it’s not the same people out there and it’s not the same team. Um, so I really can’t think about it too much. But would I love to do that again? Yeah. But is it possible? We’ll see as the week goes on. Boy, there is um there is a lightness back about DJ Moore and like a comfort that it seems to me grows like maybe this is just what having a good strong coach that he actually believes in. Maybe that’s what it feels like. I don’t know. But there’s a lightness back about him. Matt, I I heard that in that conversation right there too talking about and and look, we can we can paste everything back to Mattlus if we want and it’s very easy to do, but when he says, “Hey, you know, we got a real coach here, you know.” Yeah, this guy, he’s going to tell us what’s up. He’s going to tell us what’s going on even if we don’t want to hear it. So, I think he does. And I will say that like as for the lightness speaks, it’s such a great question because it took a while before we kind of poked our mics in on on DJ because it was he him um Caleb Williams and Roma Dunay just locked in a conversation and the three of them gathering around a phone and just laughing. And look, I I I sometimes stuff like that can be for show when they know the media is in there and they all want to make sure that everybody thinks that everybody gets along, but you know, there’s been questions about that with DJ Moore and Caleb Williams and it just it feels like there is there is genuine bonding happening this year and that makes sense like you your relationships grow as time goes on. So, I thought it was really interesting to to kind of see the way those guys were acting in the locker room before we even got a chance to talk to them. Has anyone had the the chance to talk to Ben Johnson about his Cubs experience? No. And I I meant to ask that. I think it got it like the the uh conversation didn’t call for a Cubs question, but man, put it on the list before game three. Yeah. Yeah, man. No doubt. Actually, and Lawrence, I’ll jump to one of my uh tasty nuggets for the end of uh this update, but I’ll tell it right now. I I went up to uh to Caleb. I like to have a little chitchat with Caleb if he allows for it in the locker room. And I did. I like I was like, “Hey, how was that uh how was the Cubs game experience?” And he’s like he’s like, “You know what, man?” He’s like, “I didn’t end up going.” I was like, “Oh, really?” I go, “I just I honestly, Caleb,” I was like, “I assumed that you went.” He’s like, “No.” He’s like, “Did he send his dog, Mark? Did he send his dog at his place?” No, he didn’t send the dog, but that would have been a great line. But he did tell me, ready? Breaking news. He says that he plans to go to the game tomorrow and he’s like he’s like, “You know what? I gotta go, man. They need good vibes out there.” He’s like, “They’re in they’re in trouble.” He’s like, “I got to get out there.” He’s and they do have and he said he’s like, “We got Thursday off.” I go, “Perfect.” I go, “No excuses.” So, Caleb might be out there tomorrow. Oh, no. What? You know what that’s going to turn into? What? What? What? You know who’s going to have a problem with that? He’s going to Dustin. What about What about the team lift? Are you missing the team lift? You know that Dustino is not going to like that. That’s not He’s wired. Hey, Dustin. Hey, Dustin. What do you think about Caleb Williams? I mean, he’s the quarterback of the partaking in a situation like it’s the Cubs game, Dustin. Yes or no? You can have a friend. Don’t rub it in my face. We’re going to hear from them as part of our Cubs anger segment coming up in about six or seven minutes. Wh why didn’t Dustin This is a question for Mitch Rosen. Why didn’t Dustin Rhodess ever get an opportunity to succeed Lesbstein on the overnights? You guys know he’d be a star there. I mean, he’s already a star producer, but he’d be a star in the overnights, right? I I think he probably likes the way that his life works right now. Oh, you think? Okay. Overnight turns your life upside down. Dustin’s a a good husband, a proud father, you know. Oh, I know all that. I’m just saying he he’s got He can’t do that with overnights. It’s very difficult. Well, I mean, Les was also a great father, too. Yeah, it’s true. But, but it’s true. But like, shout out to Scott. Absolutely. Shout out to Robert KMA. Yeah. How dare you? I didn’t say anything. How dare you say whatever. I heard a caller today on uh Raheem Harrison Grody when I was out at Halis Hall today as I was walking in. I think I heard a caller start the call with shout out to Les. Shout out just just a random I mean, why not? Rest in peace to the G. I mean, exactly. That’s what I think that’s what Leila said. Yeah, sure. That’s always welcome. I think it’s a good time to do that. Is there more that we need to know about the running game of the Bears? Yeah. How about that? Like, it was brought up today that the guess what’s coming, guys, NFL trade deadline. It’s not that far away. It’s November 4th, so Ben Johnson was asked, “Do you need a running back upgrade?” Our guys are going to be fine. Um, I I’ve kind of It’s not It’s not always the runners, it’s it’s everybody. And uh it’s the quarterback carrying out his fake. It’s the receivers blocking down the field. It’s the tight ends doing their job. And the same thing with the offensive line. I think there there’s a lot of times on that tape we’re not giving our runners a chance. So I think we’re fine there. Wow. We’re fine. There we go. All right. Well, we’ll see. You guys buy it? Are they fine? Not at all. I I I’m not saying that they’re going to go out and make a trade. I just don’t think that their run game’s fine. I want to I want to see how much they use Kyle Manungai and in what sorts of of runs and formations. I very much want to see this next Monday night. I I like their Kyle Manung guy better. Jory Krosky Merritt also a seventh rounder. So I call them their Manung guy. They call him Bill. Oh yeah. Yeah. His nickname’s Bill because he looks like the character from the cartoon Little Bill. Ever since I love that ever since uh I I was reminded of it. I can’t get it out of my head that Tory Taylor was drafted two spots before Bucky Irving of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That doesn’t feel great. No, it does not. Your punt value in the fourth round. Three spots ahead of Bucky Laroo, the no arm player. Lraange, but he hasn’t had Thank you. He hasn’t had a touchdown in ever. Ever. Get out of here, Mark. Oh, wait. Nuggets. No, he gave you the nuggets. Well, ju just to really cuz I know somebody I have not mentioned TJ Edwards. He was out there practice have no idea what his status is going to be. DJ Moore hates the early buy. Tyreek Stevenson and people wondering he was not in the locker room today. I’m sure he will talk at some point in time this week. Austin Booker, Travis Homer return to practice from the IR. So they’re in that 21day window. They don’t count as official roster spot until they actually are activated. Um, and I told you that Caleb Williams will probably be at the Cubs game. You heard it right here.

On the Spiegel & Holmes Show, Score reporter/host Mark Grote discussed the latest Bears storylines coming out of Halas Hall. Grote shared the good news that cornerback Kyler Gordon and tight end Colston Loveland are both set to return from injury when Chicago visits the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football. Also, receiver DJ Moore spoke about head coach Ben Johnson’s critique of the offense.

#ChicagoBears #ColstonLoveland #DJMoore #nfl #bears

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