With plenty of changes for the Chicago Bears during the 2015 off-season, there’s been one player cemented as a building block for the future, and that player is Kyle Long. When he entered the league as a first-round pick out of Oregon in 2013 many were surprised, and then he showed his talents.
ALSO FEATURED ON BGO: Five Greatest Running Back in Chicago Bears History
Since entering the league in 2013, Long has made two Pro Bowl appearances, was named an All-Pro last year, and has started in all 31 games he has played in. He’s been reliable, consistently good on the field, and when things were very sour both on and off the field the last two seasons, Long remained a positive image for the team.
Through all the consistent play that Long has had for the Bears, his signature leader moment may have come this off-season, through Twitter. It was shortly after the team released Ray McDonald following another arrest, that Long tweeted out two words to express his thoughts and fully establishing himself as the voice and leader of the Chicago Bears.
That’s all that was needed to be said by Long or really by anyone for that matter when it came to McDonald and his time with the Bears. A player who the team went out of their way to sign made another horrible off-field decision and the team moved quickly to remove him. It didn’t take a rant, no long message, just two words for Long to express his thoughts and feelings on the move.
When you speak out on certain topics as a player you’ll either be loved or hated for your opinion and in this case, Long was respected and many agreed. Long is very entertaining on Twitter, but this time he used it to make a strong message which was heard by many.
More from Chicago Bears News
- Franchise tag and transition tag windows open for Chicago Bears and NFL
- How the Chicago Bears can control the running back market in 2023
- The Chicago Bears can own the city of Chicago moving forward
- Chicago Bears NFL Combine Preview: Quarterback
- 7 best free agent tackle options for Chicago Bears
It’s not a tweet that has brought Long over the top, this off-season, he’s made even more strides to be the guy that will do anything to help his team. During OTAs new head coach John Fox has moved him from the guard position to right tackle due to injuries, and following practice Fox said Long can play “just about anywhere across the O-line” according to ESPN’s Jeff Dickerson.
Shortly after his work filling in, there were calls for him to make the permanent move to right tackle that would benefit both himself and the team. There’s not much to argue with anywhere that Long plays, he has proven that he will do anything it takes to help his team win, and that sits well in a locker room that is looking for leadership under a new regime.
It’s a new era for Chicago Bears football and that means there will be new leaders and new faces of the franchise. Veteran leaders Lance Briggs and Charles Tillman have moved on elsewhere, and while Jay Cutler may be the highest paid player on the team, Kyle Long has established himself as the undoubted leader of the franchise.
With his actions both on and off the field, Long has shown in just two seasons what it means to be a Chicago Bear: competitive, loyal, passionate, and do whatever it takes to help the team. Not to mention he’s always interacting with fans through social media and is a guy who would interact with fans out in the public.
Kyle Long isn’t afraid to be himself, he isn’t afraid to step outside the box to help his team, and most importantly, he isn’t afraid to represent the Chicago Bears franchise and he does a great job doing so.
In 2015, when you look at No. 75, look no further for your team leader.
Next: Projecting the Bears Starting Offense