KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The renovation of the Chiefs’ offensive line hit an unexpected snag.
Kyle Long suffered a leg injury that’s likely to prevent him from participating in training camp later this summer, a source confirmed to The Kansas City Star.
NFL Network reported it’s believed the injury is a fractured kneecap and that Long could be ready for the start of the season.
But he’s unlikely to be ready for the onset of training camp and is in doubt to participate in camp at all, a source told The Star.
Long addressed the injury in the following tweet Thursday morning:
“I did everything I could to prepare to get back for football. Zero regrets. I’ve been getting better everyday and having so much fun with my new team. Focusing on controlling the things I can control. Yesterday was not one of those things! Thanks for the well wishes.”
Long, 32, signed a one-year deal with the Chiefs in the offseason. He is one of the many parts of the team’s offensive line rebuild but a potentially key one, at least in the conversation to start at right guard.
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif will also return at that position, and the Chiefs also have incumbent starter Andrew Wylie and draft pick Trey Smith.
Long returned to football this year after sitting out the 2020 season, a decision he made, at least in part, due to injuries. He played only four games in his final year with the Bears in 2019 and has not played more than 10 games in a season since 2015, when he was selected to his third consecutive Pro Bowl.
