Rookies Jaquan Brisker, Kyler Gordon expected to return to action this week for Chicago Bears

The Bears’ secondary is expecting an infusion of reinforcements this week.

After the Bears played short-handed against the Green Bay Packers in Week 13, rookie cornerback Kyler Gordon and rookie safety Jaquan Brisker are both expected to return to action Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Brisker and Gordon each started the first 11 games of the season before suffering concussions against the Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 20. They sat out the following two games and haven’t played since. With the team coming off a bye week, they will have had three full weeks to rest.

“Both are off the [concussion] protocol,” head coach Matt Eberflus said Monday at Halas Hall in Lake Forest. “They should be all squared away. It’s important for us to be able to ramp those guys up. They’ve been working with strength staff and doing those types of things and running on the side.”

Since the concussions suffered by Brisker and Gordon, the Bears lost starting safety Eddie Jackson to a season-ending foot injury on Nov. 27 against the New York Jets. Cornerback Kindle Vildor also has missed time with an ankle injury.

When the Bears last took the field against Green Bay on Dec. 4, they were playing with only one regular starter in the secondary. Starting cornerback Jaylon Johnson joined backups Jaylon Jones and Josh Blackwell at cornerback, as well as DeAndre Houston-Carson and Elijah Hicks at safety.

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Brisker and Gordon were the Bears’ top two draft picks last spring. General manager Ryan Poles and his staff selected Gordon out of Washington with the 39th overall pick and Brisker out of Penn State with the 48th pick, both in the second round.

Gordon has played as a boundary corner and as the slot corner, or nickel corner, when the team deploys five defensive backs.

“Having Gordon there as the nickel, that’ll be a big piece for us going forward,” Eberflus said Monday. “A lot of teams play 11 personnel [with three receivers and one tight end] so we’ll be in that group a lot. And obviously the impact Brisker has with his hitting and ballhawking skills. We’re excited to get both of those guys back.”

Both came in and earned starting spots. Brisker impressed early on this season with his versatility in the safety position. He played well paired with Pro Bowl veteran Jackson. This could be an adjustment now that he will have to play alongside Houston-Carson instead of Jackson. Brisker has 73 combined tackles, three sacks, one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery on the season.

Gordon, meanwhile, had a little bit slower start. Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers picked on him in Week 2. He has since rebounded and was playing his best football in November before he suffered the concussion. He has 55 combined tackles on the season, one interception, four passes defended and one forced fumble.

Herbert to return soon: In addition to Gordon and Brisker, second-year running back Khalil Herbert should be back “next week,” Eberflus said. Herbert has been on injured reserve for a month with a hip injury. The injury happened on a kick return against the Detroit Lions on Nov. 13.

“He’s been hitting his max speeds, and his jumps look good and his power in his legs look great,” Eberflus said.

Through the first 10 games of the season, Herbert’s 643 rushing yards and four touchdowns remain team-best totals at the running back position, behind only quarterback Justin Fields.

Herbert is 2 yards ahead of starting running back David Montgomery’s 641 rushing yards,and the two backs are even with four touchdowns each. Montgomery missed a game and a half this year with an ankle injury.

Old neighbors: The Bears will square off against the Eagles on Sunday at Soldier Field. The matchup will feature two head coaches who used to be coworkers – and neighbors.

Eberflus was the Indianapolis Colts’ defensive coordinator when current Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni was the offensive coordinator. Their time working under head coach Frank Reich overlapped for three years before the Eagles hired Sirianni in 2021.

Eberflus said their families also lived in the same neighborhood in Indiana.

“[Our] families hung out together, so we were really close,” Eberflus said. “He’s got a great family. He’s a great family man.”

The Eagles come in with a league-best 12-1 record.