Chicago Bears: Can Kyle Long return to his Pro Bowl days?

Chicago Bears offensive lineman Kyle Long was a multiple Pro Bowl player early in his career before injuries derailed him. Can he stay healthy in 2019 and get back to those days?

When the Chicago Bears drafted offensive lineman Kyle Long in the first round (20th overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft, they felt they got themselves an anchor on the offensive line. In his first three seasons, he did just that. He was a monster at guard, ending up playing in three Pro Bowls in his first three seasons.

Long was not only a great player on the field but also a great leader in the locker room. He spoke up on issues when other players didn’t want to do so, and he was a great teammate. Additionally, he was a fan favorite with his ferocious play as well as his social media impact.

Then the injuries started to pile up. Over the course of the next three seasons, he’s dealt with foot, ankle, shoulder, and neck injuries. After playing in 47 of a possible 48 games in his first three seasons, he played in just 22 of the next 48 games.

Can Long get back to his Pro Bowl days? He participated in the offseason camps and performed very well without having to deal with an injury. He recently spoke about it, via the Chicago Tribune:

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"It’s great. There’s a line — your mental toughness and physical toughness line — and you get to push it forward a little bit every day that you show up and do everything that you’re supposed to do. I haven’t been able to move that line very far the last few years because of physical limitations. And that really took a toll on me mentally… And now I’ve been here every day just doing what I love to do and being around the guys I love to be around. That’s been great."

It’s good to see Long performing without worrying about an injury. Remember, however, that things were similar a year ago, and while he had a good start to the season, he suffered a right foot injury in Week 8 and didn’t return until Week 17 against the Minnesota Vikings. The Bears had to move players around to play in his absence.

There are many who love Long in Chicago but everyone needs to face the fact that the Bears need to prepare for his absence again in 2019. As you age your body starts to break down, and with his already having started to break down with all those injuries, we cannot expect him to suddenly become unbreakable.

The Bears are working on improving depth along the line. They signed Ted Larsen (who was previously on the team), but I don’t think he can play multiple weeks. He can be a good backup but if the Bears depend on him playing a large number of snaps then they are in trouble.

The Bears are hoping that rookie Alex Bars can show that the team can depend on him. He has the ability but is coming off a serious knee injury that kept him from getting drafted. If he shows during training camp that he’s over his injury then he can be looked at as a future replacement for Long.

Yes, the Bears need to start looking for Long’s replacement. He is nearly 31 now and with an array of injuries. He reworked his contract last season to save the team some money, but this season is critical for him.

The Bears have an option for the 2020 season. If the Bears pick up that option, he becomes a $9.6 million salary cap hit. WIth other players coming up for contract extensions, the team needs to look long and hard at Long.

This is an important season for Kyle Long and the Chicago Bears. Long needs to have a big season so he can continue playing in Chicago and the Bears hope that Long can help them accomplish their goal of winning the Super Bowl.