Chicago Bears: 4 Players who may be on their way out

Kyle Long, Guard

I know this is a tough one. Chicago Bears fans love them some Kyle Long. He is a great locker room presence and he says what most fans are thinking. He gives the offensive line the toughness it needs to protect Trubisky and the running game.

Long has been a great player for the Bears. He was a three-time Pro Bowler and was the heart of the offensive line. He was a true leader. The problem lately is that it’s difficult to lead from the trainer’s room.

Those Pro Bowl appearances happened during his first three seasons in Chicago. After that, though, he’s had no Pro Bowls and having him on the field regularly has been a battle.

After missing just one game in his first three seasons, Long missed 22 of the Bears’ 48 games. He’s had a variety of injuries, from his neck down to his ankle. He just hasn’t been able to stay healthy enough to make a big contribution. Going into the 2018 season (after three surgeries), Long said he felt as healthy as ever, via the Chicago Sun-Times:

"I feel great — I feel young. I’m rejuvenated with this staff. With the youth we have in the locker room . . . It’s amazing."

He played in the first eight games and seemed like the Long of old. Then, late in the Week 8 game against the New York Jets, he hurt his foot and did not return until the final game of the season in Week 17.

If the Bears cut Long before June 1, they save themselves $5.5 million in cap space (Over The Cap). They could wait after that date, however, and the savings rise to $7 million. Also, the dead money goes from $3 million down to $1.5 million.

Going away from Long is a big decision. As I mentioned, he is a big leader in the locker room. It’s great to have him on the field but he just hasn’t been on the field long enough to make a difference.

During the season, James Daniels did a good job of handling himself in his rookie season. He even took on the great Aaron Donald and, while he had some help, he looked great handling him. With help from offensive line coach Harry Hiestand, he could be ready to be the starting right guard in 2019.

All those injuries take a toll on the body. At age 30, he won’t magically get stronger. He’s going to break down even more and the time has come for the Chicago Bears to make the tough choice of letting Long go.