Offensive lineman Kyle Long was always outspoken when he played for the Bears and feels even more free to let it fly now that he’s out of the NFL.
If you want to know what’s going through his mind, all you have to do is log on to Twitter.
In a series of tweets Monday, Long said he got “fired” by the Bears and is contemplating a return to football, but would not play for the current staff.
“I didn’t retire I got fired,” Long wrote. “I will know with conviction whether I’m done for good or not in the next few weeks.”
I didn’t retire I got fired. I will know with conviction whether I’m done for good or not in the next few weeks. Full transparency I miss football but at what cost I’m most likely gonna be on golf courses instead of gridiron’s https://t.co/qmNbTEeTHk
— Kyle (@Ky1eLong) June 15, 2020
He also wrote that he’s more likely to end up on the golf course than a football field, so it doesn’t sound as though he’s determined to come back.
Long told the Chicago Sun-Times in January he was at peace with retirement and described it as, “the easiest decision I’ve ever made.” He said he did not like the Bears forcing him to go on Injured Reserve four games into last season, but felt his play justified them moving on from him.
He reiterated that Monday, pointing out that Matt Nagy’s staff released him at the end of the season, “and had every right to,” which he takes as a sign that the Bears wouldn’t be interested in having him return. It appears that feeling is mutual.
“I have supported this staff and the roster in the media since being released,” Long wrote. “Believe in the team and the coaches. But that doesn’t mean I would want to play for them.”
The Jets were reportedly interested in signing Long two weeks ago, but nothing came of it.
The Bears drafted him 20th overall in 2013, and he made three straight Pro Bowls at guard at tackle. Injury trouble started in 2016, particularly with his ankle, and he struggled to get back to that level. He played 30 games over his final four seasons.
While no breakup is ever perfectly smooth, Long called himself a “Bear for life” didn’t seem to hold any grudge against the organization when he spoke at length about his retirement in January.
“They’ve done me right, and I’ve done them right,” he said then. “I’m a three-time Pro Bowler. Never threw my teammates under the bus. Always took blame. Played hurt. I did what I was supposed to [expletive] do. And they did right by me.
“When I told my older brother about this, I said, ‘You know, it’s so [messed] up. I played every snap and they put me on IR.’ He’s like, ‘Kyle, are you healthy?’ And I was like, ‘No.’
“But it gives you an appreciation. Chris had injuries at the end of his St. Louis tenure, and they cut his ass. Then he went and won two Super Bowls. The Bears did me right, so I’ll never play in another jersey again. Bear for life. Couldn’t be happier about that. If I felt they [wronged] me, I’d go to Germany and get some stem cells and come back ready to kick somebody’s ass.”
