NEWSLETTER
The offseason is a time to heal, rest, and recover … which sounds like the game plan for Chicago Bears offensive lineman Kyle Long:
So nice to be done with work on my body for the offseason. Gives me a ton of time to build the tank up again. Thanks for the constant support and motivation! pic.twitter.com/IxTMSOeTCn
— Kyle (@Ky1eLong) February 1, 2018
In January, the three-time Pro Bowl lineman said he had “minor standard-operating-procedure offseason stuff” on the horizon after another injury-shortened season, and his most recent tweet hints that those procedures are now complete. This would be great news for the most talented player on an offensive line that was decimated by injuries in 2017.
If you’ll recall, Long’s season ended with another trip to injured reserve with a neck injury that ultimately ended a year in which he played through nearly a half dozen injuries. He had neck surgery in December and had his ankle operated on in 2016. It’s been a rough road for Long, and the Bears’ offense has suffered without him on the line.
Don’t get me wrong, Mitch Trubisky showed progress in the second half of the year and Jordan Howard still ran for 1,000 yards for a second straight season, but Long brings a certain edge to the offense that is missed when he isn’t in the lineup.
When healthy, Long is as good as any lineman in the NFL. He made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons and was a second-team All-Pro in 2014. He started all 16 games in each of his first three seasons, playing on 98 percent of the team’s total offensive snaps. Long missed a total of 65 snaps in his first three seasons, which says a lot considering the wear-and-tear that goes into being a lineman.
And for what it’s worth, Long believes he can get back to that level in 2018:
Did it the first 3 years of my career I can do it again! We all want that. Tbh I want more than that next year 😉 https://t.co/f1mEyvuGgE
— Kyle (@Ky1eLong) February 1, 2018
