INDIANAPOLIS _ The Bears' Kyle Long will keep his focus on rehabilitating from reconstructive surgery on his right ankle and has opted not to have surgery to repair a partially torn labrum in his left shoulder this offseason.
Long has been rehabbing from surgery to repair his right ankle, which was seriously injured in the Nov. 13 loss to the Buccaneers in Tampa, Fla. Long suffered ligament damage and basically tore everything but his Achilles tendon.
Originally, he was scheduled to undergo surgery on his left shoulder earlier this month, but Long will focus solely on returning from the ankle surgery. The three-time Pro Bowl selection played through the shoulder injury, which was suffered in the preseason, for 10 games before the gruesome ankle injury, when he was rolled up from behind by fullback Paul Lasike on a shovel pass near the goal line.
Howie Long, Kyle's father, told the Tribune that his son struggled with medication when he underwent ankle surgery in Charlotte, N.C. Long lost 40 pounds, but part of that was by design in order to make his ankle recovery easier.
The Bears extended Long's contract in September just before the season opener, adding four years at $40 million total with $30 million guaranteed. The new money came at a time when the team knew of the shoulder injury and was comfortable with him playing through it during the season.
It's possible Long will have the shoulder repaired next offseason, but other players have played numerous seasons with torn labrums. Right now, his focus is on getting the ankle back to 100 percent, and that will be an extended process.
