The Bears are likely to put right guard Kyle Long on injured reserve, according to the NFL Network, after the three-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman struggled with a hip injury this year.
Long missed the Bears’ win against the Vikings and returned for last week’s loss to the Raiders. The Bears have bemoaned their poor rushing attack this season, and Matt Nagy hinted the team might make some kind of change during the bye. He ruled out making a move with either center James Daniel or left guard Cody Whitehair.
“The production right now in the run game isn’t there,” he said Monday. “So we’ll go back, I’m gonna go back and I’m gonna figure out the why part ... I think I know. But I will have a lot more and I am not saying that, obviously I’m not going to go back and tell everybody what I think it is at the end. But we’ll talk as a staff and figure out. They’re good people that care. If you have that, that matters.”
The Bears have played veteran Ted Larsen and second-year player Rashaad Coward in his place, with the former entering the Vikings game after Larsen hurt his knee. Notre Dame rookie Alex Bars is on the practice squad. He could be promoted and slot into the roster spot freed up by Long’s move to IR. The team can’t make an official move until Monday, at the earliest.
The Bears could also look outside Halas Hall for help, as Coward is a defensive lineman-turned-offensive-tackle and Bars has never played an NFL game.
Kyle Long played his ass off for Chicago. When healthy top 5 Guards in the NFL. These decisions suck for everyone.
— Olin kreutz (@olin_kreutz) October 13, 2019
Long, who turns 31 in December, struggled at times this season, and was clearly hampered by the injury. He entered this season feeling as good as he had in years. The former first-round pick started 47 out of a possible 48 games in his first three seasons, but only 25 of 48 in his next three full seasons, landing on IR each time.
Long restructured his contract in the offseason, leaving his future with the franchise beyond this season in doubt.
He’s been one of the most beloved members of the Bears’ locker room since Phil Emery drafted him 20th overall in 2013. He is the second-longest tenured Bears player, behind special teams wiz Sherrick McManus.
