Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - Injured Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon was reportedly back at Halas Hall on Thursday

Episode Date: September 18, 2026

Leila Rahimi and Mark Grote discussed the latest developments in injured cornerback Kyler Gordon's rehab of a calf injury.

Rahimi and Grody Slashback What's been your message to Kyle Gordon? Get healthy. Are we just going to all Riot Fest return music today?

I'm going to throw a little in here. Yep. Saturday. Tool. Do it in the XRT voice. Oh, man. It's coming on Saturday. It is tool.

Hell yeah. It's Rahimi and Grody. On 104 3, the score. Grotty's going to end up in the mosh pit. I've been a threat. I've never seen Tool. I was a threat to see them when they were at the United Center.

And then I decided at the last second, I didn't want to go. So I think I will take in some tool tomorrow. I think I remember you and I are having that conversation. Yeah. Like then you were thinking about it and then you decided against it. Right. Because I am one of those people who, like when I go to concerts that I really want to go to, I either go by myself or I go with somebody who is absolutely completely in line with me,

who is about the music and wants to watch it and it enjoys it as much as I do because you don't want to have to be distracted during a concert. So I often will go myself. That's why tonight I'm going with you and my guy Fez because you guys are about the music, man. Yeah. And a lot of my concert friends are at other concerts. Like they're either at the Solt Shed or they're at the Vic to see Gary Clark Jr. Or I'm like, oh, I just got to my concert friends too late.

So she's settling for us. That's what's going on here. That's what she just said. I would have brought them as well. And then my other, my riofist friend who I went with last year, she's, she also had a phone casualty this week and has to work well into the weekend because she, she's got like a deadline hit. So yeah.

Ray, Ray, he's going to be in the house too. Hopefully we'll see you stumbling around out there. Absolutely. That'll be great. I'll let's get into this. There is a new chapter to the Kyler Gordon saga when last we heard about Kyler Gordon through the NFL network and ESPN, I guess, Ian Rappaport, with. saying that he was working out with a private trainer, was away from the facility, and there were

positive vibes. At least that's what Rappaport was providing it. Some optimism here. Some optimism here. Whatever the hell that meant. Right. Despite him being away from the facility, which clearly has been a controversial hot topic with the bears and here on the radio and on the score. And I'll add that. Rappaport did say that he would return a few weeks into the season. Where is your source? That was part of that report. Right. So yeah.

Michael Rysdorf is always on time with that question. And frankly, is all of us. Let's hear what the latest is, though, because Herb Howard, our Bears reporter, was on the afternoon show yesterday, Spiegel and Holmes, and had this little doozy at the end of his reports. I talked to several guys in the locker room,

Roma Dunzee, Jaday Walker, among them, who without prompt brought up Kyler Gordon. They told me, one, he was in the building today. Now, I didn't see him. He said he was in the building earlier today. They all talk about, you know, when he comes back, he's going to be a problem. There is not a single person in their locker on one who doesn't love Kyler Gordon as a teammate.

And two, does not think he's coming back to play football for this team. They talked about when he comes back. Romodunze said he is one of one, absolutely unique in a way that nobody else can kind of replicate the way Kyler is able to play when he's on the field. The health is what it is and they got to get them back. But they all are really, really excited to get him back. And I think when he's able to get back, he's certainly going to be a useful, useful piece and add to that secondary.

Also saw Kobe Bryant in the locker room today's first time I personally seen him in the locker room since he was hurt. He was still on his cruises and not quite ready to go yet. But I joke with him, it looked like you're ready to get out on the field, man. He had a smile and he seems to be in good spirit. But that was the first time I saw him today. This is good news, to be honest with you, that it, if the players are giving unprompted testimonials about Kyler Gordon. And I'm not saying this means Kyler Gordon's coming back and he's going to play in week three.

But to apparently have the support of your team is massive because that was questionable, I thought, that they could have been like, what the hell is this guy doing? Why does this guy get to stay out of the building? Does he love football? Does he not? And to have the play, like, it's checking a box. It's not. I'm not going to read into this and celebrate the return of Kyler Gordon,

but I am going to check a box and say that is terrific to hear, especially since they offered that to Herb Howard. And I understand that, but here's the other side of it. And we didn't get into this because Brad Biggs has more information than we can possibly have to discuss, even in four and a half hour radio shows every day, because that's Brad Biggs.

He's elite. But this was a red flag to me when I was reading his 10 things on Monday. Point number five, maybe it's overstating things to say the bears have turned to a last resort in allowing Kyler Gordon to rehabilitate his calf injury away from the team. So that's how much can change in a few days. But here's where I'm concerned about who he's working with. So Biggs says he reached out to Montel Fleming, noticed for Dr. Moe on Instagram, who is working with Gordon on body alignment and injury prevention in order for the cornerback to be activated from the pup list so he can get onto the field after missing the offseason program, training camp,

in preseason. Fleming answers the phone saying Dr. Moe. And he goes by foot Dr. Moe. By the way, he's not a medical doctor. What? So the branding, and I'm saying this respecting actual orthopedic doctors that I've worked with when I've gotten injured, and the ones we talk to, like Brian Cole, who works over at Rush.

You know, there's, he's the team doctor for the bears, or for the bulls, rather, and the white socks. So he says he's foot Dr. Moe. was introduced to Gordon by Jalen Johnson, with whom Fleming has worked since the 2021 season. Jalen Johnson, who still talks about how he's not completely healthy. Jalen Johnson, who had a groin tear off of his body last year, that Jalen Johnson? Oh, you guys have been working together since 2021? Quote, it was Fleming who reached out to Johnson after viewing his Instagram account.

I noticed some disfunctions that were going on with Jalen just by looking at pictures based off of how he stands, how his foot angle was, and how he was placed in the picture, seeing how he was leaning on one side of his body overcompensating. What? I reached out to him through Instagram,

and the rest is history. We had one session, and I became a full-time specialist for six years. All I've had in my life is right knee Bursitis. And when I went to team rehab, and I definitely paid for them, this is not an ad. Versitis.

which is common. It happens, especially, you know, the older you get. And if you've been working out on a regular basis, they didn't care about how I stood.

They cared about how I moved. And when I worked with the Cubs orthopedic doctor at the time, they took x-rays to make sure something wasn't wrong. And then they told me about how I had a strength imbalance and I needed to work other muscles

so that way the movement was more form aligned. If your knee collapses in, should you be working more quiet? and glute to compensate for your IT and hamstring working more. That type of thing. You know, we've talked a lot about Jalen Brunson, who his wife is a physical therapist. The University of Illinois, by the way, is an incredibly good physical therapy school. Like, we are blessed to have as many of those people in our city working right now. And I say this understanding, like, for example, Ozzie Tripillo, if you believe that he's been at the facility following the Bears' instructions,

you know, is ahead of schedule. Standing is one thing. Moving is another. How many of us have been standing one way or another? That doesn't mean you're stuck in that position for a long time. It's a still frame. Like guys roll up into my DMs all the time giving me advice. Do you think I take it? Oh, yeah. So Johnson says the work he does with Fleming focuses on maintaining explosive movements.

That's really the biggest thing Johnson said. Once your body's aligned and powerful, everything else kind of takes place. I do a lot of body alignment and then body activation and make sure everything is firing and make sure there's not anything that's overcompensating or firing and everything is primed ready to go. So that part sounds a lot like what I said. Really, it is just learning how to activate before practice, how to activate before games to get your body ready to go.

A lot of times that's where injuries come in for guys not prepping their body beforehand and not being ready for their body is overcompensating. That's where soft tissue injuries come from. Perhaps, but that doesn't mean that this guy who says he's a doctor and has maybe had some luck with people and also says he works with a chiropractor, by the way. And that's another discussion that I think is a lightning rod for point, counterpoint, and for debate. All of this comes together in a way that makes me wonder, is this the best advice?

Especially when we just heard the quote from Jalen in our previous segment. Yeah, and we don't know that he necessarily, Jalen Johnson was saying he's still injured. And we'll just take it for what it is. He said he didn't feel good mentally or physically. And that could just mean he was out physicaled by the opponent. So I don't know if he was saying. I don't know if there was a follow-up necessarily. Does it help at all that Fleming said he is working in tandem with an actual doctor?

Dr. Michael Risher, Reisher, a chiropractor to get Gordon cleared to return. I'll just read a few more lines here. This is again from Biggs's point number five. And Biggs quotes a lot more. So if you want to read it, there's a lot there. Yeah, there's a lot here that we're not going to get to, obviously. But Fleming said his work with Gordon began March 12th of this year. and they'll be continuing through the season as he travels from Kansas City, Missouri

weekly to work with Johnson, also defensive back. Cam Lewis, by the way, Cam Lewis on Tuesdays through Thursdays. And the final thing, I guess is the optimistic one. Kyler right now, for Dr. Mo, has been very, has a very strong support system around him. Again, this is from Biggs, making sure that his head is staying on straight as he is still staying disciplined and focused for this season, Fleming said. He's not in a depressed state. He's joyful. He's happy. He's really happy now because he doesn't feel some of the pains that

he did just a few weeks ago. Michael and I are really doing our very best, very best to make sure that Kyler gets back as expeditiously as possible. How far out is Gordon from actual football activity? Kyler will be back very soon, Fleming said, and again, all of this written by Biggs in the Trit. Fleming is an adult. doctor. No, he is not, but he's working with the doctor with a chiropractor, but you're right. The skepticism is warranted for somebody like him and the results haven't been there for any of the players that we know he's worked with, at least the ones that you pointed out. And I'm sorry, Jaylen isn't the resume here. Jalen has also had a lot of injury problems. We have not seen him back yet.

If they're working with somebody who isn't helping when there are so many other qualified people in the city who can't, and Brad is right. It's pretty common for this to take place. But what's not common is for you to be chronically injured over things that are not chronic injuries. And that's where the problem is. It's all a problem. It is all a problem. Brad did quote John Fox in one of his hits

on Peyton and Ha, did you guys hear that? I did hear that. I don't remember what it was in Oh, no, he said that. He said it's all a problem. Right, but I don't remember what was all of the things. Well, they asked something about the defense probably, and then he quoted John Fox very jovially, which was awesome. It was

spot on by Brad Biggs, who will be on our pregame show this Sunday as he will be each and every week, which is absolutely awesome. All includes Patrick Manley and Gabe Ramirez. She is Leila Rahimi, hot pink Leila. I am just merely salmon,

Sam and Mark Grody, but I am cute as hell. Coming up next, Mutataka Murakami breaks out of his slump to power the White Sox past the Tigers, putting them back in first place in the America.

League Central. Let's talk about the White Sox next on Rahimi and Grotie on 1043, The Score.