Undrafted Big Ten TE sticking around in Chicago on 3-year deal with Ben Johnson’s Bears

Northwestern Wildcats tight end Thomas Gordon played under David Braun for six seasons, from his freshman year in 2019 to last season as a graduate student. Gordon’s NCAA years might be over, but his football career just got an extension, and he’s not moving far. 

The undrafted free agent signed a 3-year, $2.965 million deal Tuesday with the Chicago Bears. 

The #Bears have signed TE Thomas Gordon and Waived/Injured TE Jordan Murray.

— Bears Communications (@BearsPR) August 6, 2025

The former Wildcat’s addition to the roster came as the Bears waived tight end Jordan Murray with an injury designation.

As a freshman at Northwestern in 2019, Gordon appeared in two wins (UNLV and UMass), and saw action in every game the following season. The tight end made 54 career appearances for the Wildcats, but didn’t record his first collegiate catch until 2021 as a redshirt sophomore. 

A three-year starter, Gordon went on to appear in 43 games between 2021 and 2024, recording 54 receptions for 529 yards, plus two touchdowns. 

The 6-foot-5, 255-pound tight end went unselected in the 2025 NFL Draft earlier this year, but had a short run in the UFL. Gordon appeared in one game for the San Antonio Brahmas, though he didn’t record any receptions or yardage. 

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During Gordon’s seasons at Northwestern, Braun’s program struggled with consistency.

The Wildcats finished first in the Big Ten Conference Western Division in 2020 (7-2, 6-1) and second in 2023 (8-5, 5-4), but came in last place during the 2019 (3-9, 1-8), 2021 (3-9, 1-8) and 2022 (1-11, 1-8) seasons. Last year, Northwestern finished No. 16 among the 18 programs in the realigned Big Ten Conference, with a 4-8 (2-7) record.

Though none of the Wildcats were selected in the 2025 Draft, Gordon joins wide receiver AJ Henning as the second Northwestern athlete to sign on a free agency contract. Henning signed with the Miami Dolphins July 23.

Depending on his training camp performance, it’s likely Gordon will be cut or join the practice squad.