BOURBONNAIS, Ill. _ For a non-padded practice on the first morning of training camp, the Chicago Bears managed to have themselves quite an eventful Thursday. First, top draft pick Leonard Floyd left practice on the back of a cart, unable to finish the morning because of the lingering effects of a stomach bug. Then, at the conclusion of Thursday's practice, Pro Bowl offensive lineman Kyle Long came up hobbling during team drills, a startling sight for a team that can't afford to lose one of its most important players for any length of time.
Long was in obvious discomfort as he limped off the field, eventually slamming his helmet to the ground. By the time the fourth-year offensive lineman arrived to the cafeteria for lunch at Olivet Nazarene University, he was wearing a large walking boot on his left leg.
Coach John Fox indicated preliminarily that Long might be dealing with a calf strain, something to keep close tabs on. The Bears have not yet offered any other official update on Long's status.
With an eye on the big picture, it would be surprising if Long was back on the practice field Friday and a victory for the Bears if he returned this weekend.
For perspective, however the Bears still have more than six weeks until they play their season opener on Sept. 11 in Houston. And as of now, there's nothing to indicate that Long is in any danger of being sidelined for anywhere near that long.
So for now it'll be a wait-and-see situation that will require daily monitoring.
