Chicago Bears can get a great deal by locking up Kyler Gordon to a long-term contract extension now

Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon has earned a big contract extension, and his role as a slot corner means the price tag will be much lower than what the Bears paid Jaylon Johnson last year.

Dec 26, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon (6) enters the field before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Soldier Field. / Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

For the second-straight offseason, the Chicago Bears need to pay a big contract extension to a young cornerback.

The price tag should be much more palatable for Ryan Poles this time around.

One year after giving Jaylon Johnson a four-year, $76 million deal, the Bears would be wise to lock in Kyler Gordon for the long-term too.

The former second round pick is entering the last year of his rookie contract after a strong 2024 season where he emerged as a top slot cornerback in the NFL.

That distinction is going to make his next contract look like steal.

Nov 24, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon (6) celebrates a defensive stop on 4th down against the Minnesota Vikings during the fourth quarter at Soldier Field / Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

Slot cornerbacks get paid a lot less than the top cornerbacks who line up on the outside.

Jalen Ramsey and Patrick Surtain II are the highest paid cornerbacks in the NFL, averaging $24 million per year on their current deals.

At the time, Johnson's new contract last year made him the seventh-highest paid cornerback in the league at $19 million.

Gordon's next deal might only pay him half as much.

"Kyler Gordon is an outstanding nickel player." -- #Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen when asked about the secondary pic.twitter.com/OvIXC9KfX9

— Nicholas Moreano (@NicholasMoreano) January 30, 2025

The highest paid slot cornerbacks are Michael Carter II of the New York Jets and Taron Johnson of the Buffalo Bills, with contracts averaging just $10.25 million per year.

Even if Poles makes Gordon the new highest-paid slot cornerback this offseason, he would still only be the Bears sixth-highest paid player on the roster.

Slot cornerbacks get paid less than outside corners in part because they play fewer snaps when they come off of the field in base defense packages.

Over the last two seasons, Dennis Allen's New Orleans Saints defenses used its nickel package on roughly 70 percent of its plays, ranking in the top three in the NFL.

He'll make sure the Bears get the most out of Gordon on whatever his next contract looks like. Poles should lock in one of his top young playmakers at a great value now before that price tag keeps going up.

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