TAMPA, Fla. _ The Bears are expecting to be without Pro Bowl guard Kyle Long for an extended period of time after the fourth-year lineman suffered a serious injury to his right ankle during Sunday's 36-10 loss to the Buccaneers.
Bears coach John Fox declined to divulge the diagnosis on Long and wouldn't confirm whether X-rays on the right guard's ankle came back negative. But Fox insinuated Long might be dealing with a high ankle sprain and that the Bears were preparing to be without him for a while.
With only seven games left, Long could be lost for the remainder of the season with little incentive for the 2-7 Bears to rush his recovery. Long's teammates were deflated after Sunday's game with one of their best players facing a significant setback.
"It's tough," quarterback Jay Cutler said. "He's had a bunch of injuries to one (half) of his body. And now the lower half takes a hit too. ... If there's a chance for him to come back, he's a guy who will make it happen. If not, he'll be a hard guy to replace."
Long suffered his injury in the second quarter, on a sloppily executed shovel pass from Cutler to fullback Paul Lasike. As Lasike stumbled to catch the low pass he landed on the back of Long's right foot. Long left the field on the back of a cart, pounding the side of the vehicle and shouting encouragement into the huddle.
But now, after dealing with a serious labrum issue in his shoulder since August and battling through a triceps strain suffered in Week 7, Long will now have his patience tested with an extended absence from action.
