It was an eventful day in NFL news. With the franchise tag deadline at hand, several teams elected to place it on key players on their respective rosters. The Chicago Bears were among them, placing it on star wide receiver Allen Robinson. No doubt he wasn’t thrilled with that decision but it was bound to happen. One piece of news people did not see coming was the announcement that former three-time Pro Bowl guard Kyle Long was coming out of retirement.
Macon Gunter of the Green Light Podcast dropped the news on Twitter. It was quickly confirmed by Long’s brother Chris. This is something he’d been teasing for the past year. After losing a ton of weight following his retirement, Long dropped hints that he was starting to work out again and adding weight. A surefire sign he was considering a comeback.
Now that goal is becoming a reality.
Three-time Pro Bowl OL Kyle Long is returning to the NFL. He is 315 lbs., healthy, happy, nasty, and shredded, and has signed with Jeff Nalley of Select Sports Group.
— Macon (@MaconPlays) March 9, 2021
Inevitably, several Bears fans are getting excited. The offensive line needs some help. They’ve been missing that edge and attitude he brought a few years ago. Maybe a reunion is in order now that he’s had a chance to cool his head. He even openly thanked fans for supporting him during his first run in the league.
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Thank you for the well wishes everyone, particularly the amazing Bears fans who have treated me as family for years 💯
— kyle (@Ky1eLong) March 9, 2021
The idea of a return to Chicago though? That doesn’t seem likely. Long has made no qualms about his anger over how his Bears career ended. He has hard feelings towards the coaching staff that never really went away. Now with Matt Nagy and his crew back for another season, any hopes of him continuing in navy blue and orange are pretty much dead. As the 32-year old put it? That guy is dead.
They killed that guy
— kyle (@Ky1eLong) March 9, 2021
Kyle Long will likely have some suitors
Despite not having played for two years, everybody remembers how good Long was when healthy. His athleticism, strength, and attitude will appeal to plenty of teams. Especially since he’s not likely to command a high price. So where might he end up? One team to watch is the Las Vegas Raiders. They just cut both of their starting guard, Richie Incognito and Gabe Jackson. Last but not least? It’s the same team his father Howie Long played for.
Some other possibilities? The San Francisco 49ers covet athletic interior offensive linemen. Former Bears coach Brandon Staley is now running the Chargers and several of their interior blockers are either free agents or about to be cut. One also should not ignore the Kansas City Chiefs. Their offensive line was wrecked in the Super Bowl and has depth concerns. Kyle Long has played in their kind of system and deserves a chance to chase a Super Bowl.
Wherever it ends up being, the one thing for certain is it’s not Chicago.
Thankfully the Bears don’t have a pressing need for interior blocking right now. Cody Whitehair was strong at left guard last season. Sam Mustipher came into his own at center. James Daniels will return from his pec injury and Alex Bars didn’t look out of place whenever he got chances to play. Expect the team to focus more on the tackle position this offseason.
No doubt they wish Long the best whenever he finds that new team.