Kyle Long, Chicago Bears. (Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports)
Three-time Pro Bowl guard with the Chicago Bears Kyle Long is attempting a comeback.
After spending a year retired, former Chicago Bears guard Kyle Long plans to play in the NFL this season. His older brother Chris Long’s podcast partner Macon Gunter revealed Long has signed with Jeff Nalley of Select Sports Group ahead of NFL free agency.
Long was a former first-round pick by Chicago out of Oregon in the 2013 NFL Draft. The son of Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long was on a Hall-of-Fame trajectory before injuries derailed his once-promising career. After spending a year out of football, the 32-year-old is ready to return to the game.
Will Kyle Long be re-signing with the Chicago Bears in his free agency?
Though Long had great success in Chicago uniform, he is not expected to be rejoining the Bears. The guard positions are locked in with the Bears having James Daniels and Cody Whitehair. While a Chicago return for Long seems unlikely, expect Long to want to sign on with a playoff-caliber team. He’s not coming out of retirement to play for a 4-12 team.
After dropping a significant amount of weight in his year out of football, Long is reportedly back up to 315 pounds to withstand the rigors of playing in the middle of an offensive line. And the year off from football seemingly has left Long feeling as healthy as he’s been in the last five years.
Long missed a total of 32 games over the last four years of his career, after starting 47 of a possible 48 games in his first three seasons.
Even if Long does not return to the Bears, he will be a valuable asset on the free-agent market.