NEWSLETTER
A Saturday roster shuffle for the Chicago Bears has provided an inkling to the severity of Kyle Long’s injury, but also a possible road map for his potential return:
#Bears roster update:
We have placed OL Kyle Long on IR and have signed RB Taquan Mizzell Sr. from the practice squad.TE Ben Braunecker and DT Bilal Nichols did not travel with the team to Buffalo.
— Chicago Bears (@BearsPR) November 3, 2018
The ankle injury that caused Long to miss the final few snaps in the Bears’ Week 8 win against the New York Jets will sideline him for at least eight weeks after the team announced it put him on injured reserve.
This course of action does a few things. First, putting Long on IR before the team’s Week 9 showdown against the Buffalo Bills opens the door for a possible late-season return. It might seem like a long shot, but Long could conceivably return to the active roster for the season finale against on Dec. 30 on the road against the Minnesota Vikings. This would fit right into the projected timetable first reported by NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, who expected Long to be sidelined for 6-8 weeks.
Placing Long on injured reserve also opened up a spot on the active 53-man roster. But rather than signing another offensive lineman, the Bears brought a familiar face back into the fold by signing running back Taquan Mizzell. If your first instinct is to be curious why the Bears didn’t sign a lineman to replace Long, it could be because the team is pretty well-covered in that area. Reserves Bradley Sowell and Bryan Witzmann have NFL starting experience, while right tackle Rashaad Coward remains on the roster, though he hasn’t played a snap at right tackle yet this year.
As for the player who was signed to the active roster, Mizzell is a name Bears fans should be familiar with because of his time with the team last year and this summer. It’s a promotion for the second-year running back, who has been on Chicago’s practice squad since the start of this season. Mizzell has experience as a running back and return specialist, which makes me wonder if he’ll get a shot at fielding some kickoffs. Benny Cunningham has done a bulk of the kick return work in 2018, but his 21.6 yards per return average is well below his career average of 26.3.
In addition to to the roster moves, the Bears announced tight end Ben Braunecker (concussion) and defensive lineman Bilal Nichols (knee) did not travel with the team and are OUT for Sunday. The Bears will miss Nichols, who has been stout against the run and receiving an increasing amount of playing time in recent weeks. They will also miss Braunecker’s special teams contributions.
It’s worth noting that pass-rusher Khalil Mack and wide receiver Allen Robinson were not announced as players who did not take the team flight to Buffalo. That leaves open the possibility of each player being ready to suit up and play after taking the week off to rest some injuries. We’ll be sure to monitor their situations as more news surfaces.
