We didn’t figure the Chicago Bears would share an official update regarding Kyle Long’s health status (at least, not so quickly), but Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune’s tweet paints a picture of a player who’ll be out for a while:
Bears RG Kyle Long rolled through the locker room on a scooter this morning during media availability. Injured right foot elevated and in a boot. We'll get an update from coach Matt Nagy on Wednesday, but it sure looks as though Bears are planning for an extended absence.
— Rich Campbell (@Rich_Campbell) October 30, 2018
Long was seen in the Bears’ locker room on Tuesday riding a scooter with his injured right foot in a boot. So while Head Coach Matt Nagy isn’t scheduled to speak with the media again until Wednesday, one can draw from this tweet that the Bears are going to be without their starting right guard for the foreseeable future.
The Bears saw Long go down with an injury near the end of the team’s Week 8 win against the New York Jets. Long needed assistance from trainers to get off the field, couldn’t put pressure or weight on his right foot, and was carted to the locker room. Those usually signs that the injury is going to be a serious one. And while the team could jump into the trade waters and strike a deal before Tuesday’s 3 p.m. CT deadline, the team’s in-house options aren’t awful.
In any case, Chicago is going to miss Long’s presence in the lineup. The three-time Pro Bowl lineman is a team leader and an anchor on the offensive line. His return to health after two injury shortened years was one of the positive storylines worth following in 2018, so to see him go down – just as the Bears are getting competitive in the NFC North – is an absolute bummer.