Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - How does Ben Johnson feel about Kyler Gordon?

Episode Date: October 2, 2026

Leila Rahimi and Mark Grote wondered how Bears head coach Ben Johnson feels about cornerback Kyler Gordon, who has returned to practice after being sidelined for a long stretch by a calf injury.

Rahimi and Grody My name is Layla Rahimi And I love sports And I don't care who knows We like sports And we don't care who knows Midday, 10 a.m. to 2 on the score The Barre

Fuck it Oh, and Sledgehammer The quintessential radio return music Of I'd say the early 2000s It is a good song What? Yeah Like you can't help

But liking the melody of, it is probably objectively. I mean, it's inappropriate. That's not what I don't know. But Peter Gabriel lived on the edge. Yeah, and I don't dislike Peter Gabriel. I like some things that Peter Gabriel has done for sure, whether with Genesis or solo. I think that's just one of those songs I've just heard way too many times.

Yeah, because it's a quintessential radio return cut. It is? But it makes me feel good. Oh, yeah. Why? Why? Because it just is. I've not noticed that.

Man, I worked at a station that used it all the time back in the day. Well, this ain't, this ain't that. Oh, yeah, I heard dare we use one of the better artists of a decade. Well, it doesn't matter. You didn't think I'd be caping for Peter Gabriel today, didn't it? Peter Gabriel. Come talk to me. That's a sick song right there.

See you there? No, I do like Peter Gabriel. I'm just talking about that song in general. I think I've just heard it too many times. That's all. It's Rahimi and Grotie on 1043, the score where we talk sports and music. We do like to talk music on this show and backstage and all those kinds of things. I just realized something about what is going to happen today at Hallis Hall with the Chicago Bears and the beats.

The fact that, okay, so Kyler Gordon, if you don't know, was a full, Lela, full participant in practice yesterday. There was nothing limited about the designation that Kyler Gordon was given. If you don't know, the Bears did open the 21-day practice window for Kyler Gordon to come off of the Pupilis. and he's got to sit out one more game, and then he would be eligible to return, which would be against at the Packers. And if he doesn't return, they put him back on the pup. He's gone.

He's staying there for the rest of the year. So there are some big moments of consequence coming up finally in the Kyler Gordon story. But what I realized is that Ben Johnson will be asked about Kyler Gordon today. Oh, on the list of things that annoy Ben Johnson. That is one of them. That is correct. What's been your message to Kyler Gordon?

Gordon, get healthy. It's the click for me. It's the tongue click. I don't give a bleep tongue click. Is that what it is? Or I'm pissed off and I have to answer this question, tongue click. You know what the list is. We've got over it.

Yeah. I think that was also regarding Kyler Gordon. Oh, no, that was starters and preseason. Let's do the list. Okay, starters in preseason. Kyler Gordon. Kyler Gordon. Losing to the Lions for the last game of the regular season last year.

Cell phone going off. Or is that a different category? Is that bad reporter etiquette? Bad, well, yeah. Okay, what else? Let me think about this. Oh, oh, the idea. Did you say Tyson potentially being traded?

No! Yeah, Tyson potentially, but that doesn't anger him. That was him coughing and having some fun with it because he loves it. Good point. It's still brought out a happier side. Yeah. Holidays. Holidays.

Yeah, screw holidays. He's got Miami tape to break down. He has no idea what day. Yeah, that was time off. But also, he didn't know what day Christmas was. Right. Doesn't matter. Doesn't matter. I'll think of more. Yeah, we will. But here's the thing.

Not only is a question justified. Last week's game. Last season. Sure. Yeah, yeah, talking about last season. Can't do that. But not only would a question is imperative, quite frankly, about Kyler Gordon today, guess what? If Ben Johnson is to give another one of those types of answers,

and either way, even if he answers enthusiastically, follow-ups are justified today. are warranted today. While before then, like we could all infer from what he was saying, he's not happy with him. And so not necessarily, didn't necessarily need a follow-up. Now if he gets pissy, you got to follow up, right? What's the matter?

Why aren't you answering these questions, Ben? Well, and even Ryan Poles. I'd love to hear what Ryan Poles has to say about this because when he was asked about it, there was a question about his finality with the team. Whether or not he had played his final snap with the Bears, and he was like, I don't know. Or if he was going to play this season.

Right. The whole thing was a shoulder shrunk. The whole thing was like, uh-huh. And I'm not mad at him for saying, I don't know. It's just the fact of the matter is this all seemed very up in the air. Yeah. Yeah, no, he made that very clear. Like he, and again, what makes the whole thing unprecedented in my mind in Bears history

is that you had the GM and the coach basically saying, you guys should feel free to interpret this however you'd like. Well, and then there's Brad Biggs reporting where he said teammates, called the situation, quote, bizarre, end quote. And that's another indicator. Absolutely. And then if we want to add to Kyler Gordon's side of it, we had Herb Howard telling us that players came up to him in the locker room and were

saying how much they support Kyler Gordon, how much they love Kyler Gordon, how great of a player Kyler Gordon is. That doesn't mean that that reflects the entire locker room, but there are players in there that do indeed support him. So it's very interesting. It is the most mixed of mixed bag. It really is. And so we'll see.

We had no idea if we're going to actually get to the point where this guy is going to play. Do you think he's going to play? Like, is your prediction changed by the fact that he was a full participant in practice yesterday? Yeah, because I think a roster spot, the tenuous nature of the roster spot when you open up a window like that. So this would be the last game he can miss. But the better question becomes, is it like a situation last year with Malik Maliq Maliq Maw. or with Nashon Wright and Jalen Johnson, where the odd man out was Tyreek Stevenson and that.

You know, they want to go with the hot hand. They've talked about that. That's been the philosophy. So how does that work easing him back in? And that's a better question, too. Yeah. I guess what Ben Johnson says today might be a good indicator of where they are with him now and where they are with him going forward.

You mentioned this, Lela. I think you were the first to bring this up yesterday. And then it came up again during transition today. There is a danger that the bears are facing against the New York Jets. This might be the most underrated but high pressure streak in the NFL. Last season, the Jets with their former defensive back head coach, Aaron Glenn, did not have a single interception. Well, guess what, friends, that has continued into this season.

It is the Cowboys, the Jets, the Colts and the Eagles are the only teams that don't have an interception yet this season. And I don't care if you're Case Keatom or Tyson-Vagent. You cannot break the streak. You cannot be the team that finally has the Jets get an interception in the Aaron Glenn era. Don't be. Can't do it. That's 20 games. Don't be that guy.

You can't be that. No next team wants to break the streak. Patrick Finley was thankfully. on this story at Halas Hall. Did ask Press Taylor about this? Chet's have an interception to pass in a year and a half. Do you want your guys to know that or not?

Honestly, I remember hearing that going into the offseason last year. We haven't talked much about that, honestly. We're just going to go in and try to do our very best with every single thing we do. And obviously in the past game, and that's not something necessarily we talk about. We know what, as everybody says,

turnover is coming bunches. and so we hope to not be a part of that. See, you don't want to break the streak. You can't be the team to do it. Don't talk about it. And then that team will carry shame. For shame. The last interception was

Ashton Davis, last regular season interception for the New York Jets, January 5th, 2025 against quarterback. You never get this. Miami Dolphins quarterback. Tyler Huntley. Wow. So it was one of the games where Tuo was out.

Yes, it was. So it is as ambiguous and gray as can be. And this is not a good look for Aaron Glenn who played defensive back during his career with the Jets. So while you can't really pin it on him and be like, oh, you should be doing better. It's not like he's in the secondary. Right. That's got to be super annoying, though, because I'm sure the questions are consistent. And that's a topic in New York with Jets talk show hosts and that they have to deal with that on the daily.

Oh, yeah. Yeah, they know a healthy level of dysfunction, the Jets covering media. Yes. But you can't be the team. You can't be the team that breaks a streak. No. Don't be the... Press Taylor tried to kind of soften it.

Why do I get the feeling that he also knows? He did not want to deal with that. Because he might be a little stitious. Just a little bit. Or maybe he's absolutely superstitious. Have we talked to Press Taylor enough as a human to know that about him? I don't know. I don't think so.

I think this would be the time. Do you think that there's any chance that Joe Tunney will play left tackle. That's the other part of this. So you're in a tenuous situation here with Braxton Jones being injured and then Theo Benedid had some really tenuous snaps

against the Eagles. There were some replays of guys just going right past him. Past protection seemed to be the concern with him. How confident are you with Theo Benedidette a left tackle for a backup quarterback? Tyson agent runs, he's mobile, so theoretically that can counter some of that. I haven't been confident in a Bears left tackle for basically a season in three games now. But to the Bears' credit, to Ben Johnson's credit, they have managed to overcome the issues at left tackle.

Now, again, as I would say, I would say they've mitigated them. I wouldn't say they've overcome them. Well, what I was going to say is it's been maximum effort. Yeah. Mitigated. Yeah. They have done what they've had to do. They've had to overcompensate at times to help left tackle or put them in a position to

maybe putting, as they did last week, putting Darnell right and Jonah Jackson on the left side for a play. Poor Darnell. As they did. Well, not poor Darnell because they're doing that because Darnell is excellent. And it did again make me think, is Darnell right? Does he still the future? at left tackle? Is there any chance that we reopen those talks, depending on how Ozzie Tripillo does, which I guess is the real answer?

Trapio. Like, Ozzie Trapillo. Thank you. How good is Ozzie Trapillo going to be? Like, that's still the number one question. And it's not out of the question that he plays this week. We don't know at this point. Hold on. But it's possible. The bucket giveth here. Okay, so now you're saying that there's... I don't think you'd start. I don't think it's start. Can we, as a media unit, handle Trapillo and Kyler Gordon coming back in the same week

Well, Kyler's not coming back. Kyler's not coming back this week. He can't play this week. Yeah, it's the next week. Right, right, right. So though, but, but.

No, when I say this, I meant like the same, the same week. Like practice and stuff. Yeah. I guess technically Trapillo is a possibility for Sunday. He is now. In my mind, he's not.

So that's why I went to the following week. I get that. No, I totally get that. Like, I don't see a scenario where he would start, but I could see a scenario where he comes in. And maybe we'll get more of those answers today, like out at Hallis Hall. Maybe we'll know more about Tripillo. Maybe our guys will have Hogan a little bit later, Fishbane as well. They could probably help us out with that.

But that's it, right? Like he is supposed to be Ozzie Tripillo, the stabilizer at that position. Now, played last year, but I don't know that he was necessarily outstanding. He was better than I think people thought, but we still don't know if he can play the position. These are problems that I did not want to have, but we have. Yes, they have arrived.

Oh, we have the announcement. Remember that time that I alluded to doing a show in Wisconsin? Was that yesterday? That was this week at some point in this weird week of us staying up very late most of the week. You guys don't even remember the caller said badgent. I didn't even remember that, yeah. Yeah.

Well, we have an announcement about our show in Wisconsin. Oh. Yeah. Go ahead. Next Friday, October 9th, join we the score at the world famous Brat Stop in Kenosha for the return of the Brat Bull previewing Chicago against Green Bay. Our show will be there broadcasting live from 10 to 2, followed by Matt Spiegel and Gabe Ramirez from 2 to 6 that afternoon. We'll be joined by special guests, hosts from our enemy station, the fan of Milwaukee. It's going down.

as well as the shows gearing up for a much anticipated rematch this Sunday. That is next Friday, 10 to 6 at the broad stop in Kenosha. It is all brought to you by Ziegler Subaru of Kenosha. For a great experience, visit Ziegler Subaru Kenosha.com. Can't wait, looking forward to the Brat Bowl coming up next with us. Wait, are you picking us all up again? Are we going to ride with you up there? We can, but okay, we're going to do this on the air.

Here are the, because Ray, you need a ride. as well. Yes, sir. And Tyler, you're welcome, too. I'm stuck here. Wait, can you fit the soundboard in your trunk somewhere? Yeah. Can you bring it with us?

Put in the trunk, we'll go together. Tyler is an adult. He owns a car. So here is my only... Maybe wait a minute. Just forget a Ray. We got... Beggers can't be choosers today.

Right, right. Exactly. Exactly. So here's the deal. We're just out here. You guys have... For passenger princesses. You all need to meet at my place.

That's it. That's the circumstance. You got to come. You got to be in my... lobby and I will drive whoever. Listeners, come on to my lobby. Anybody that shows up in my lobby will all get in the car and we will drive to Kenosha together.

It's going to be great. You know how else is going to join us out there? Who? James Big Cat Williams. No way, really? Yes. He's fun and like I love talking to him in general and then he's joined us at the broad stop before.

So that's great. James Big Cat Williams will be driving you guys home too, by the way. So that's the deal. Do you really want to upset that man? No. No. Wait, if we show up at your lobby, can we say how to Dave the cat? No, because he'll just hide, unfortunately.

Damn it. Yeah, I wish. Scaity cat. Yeah, he really is. Will Dave have the ox if he wanted to come with to the Broth Stop? Keeps pawing at songs. Yeah, maybe we'll bring him. Maybe we'll bring Dave the cat. He'll have an absolute blast.

So that's my only requirement. He's a unique cat. Yes, he is. We have to talk about this, and that is the latest twist in the Bears Stadium saga. Are you ready, Leila? Yeah, but don't say we told you so.

But there is something new that I think is pretty valid in all of this. It's Rahimi and Grotia, 1043, the score. I didn't want to correct you, buddy, but it's a... Yeah.