Chicago Bears: Is this the end for Kyle Long?

Kyle Long has officially been placed on the Injured Reserve. Is his career as a Chicago Bears player over?

Kyle Long has been a great Chicago Bears player. He has been through the good, and mostly bad, and has always held down as one of the Bears’ best players. When he was asked to move positions, he moved. When he was asked to move back, he moved back.

He did everything the team asked him to do. That is what makes the development over the past three seasons so much worse. After a long career giving his all for the team, it is starting to look like the end is nearing. The Bears placed Long on the Injured Reserve officially, ending his 2019 season.

The move is not surprising after following his play all season. Long has struggled from the start of the year and even looked a step slower in training camp. A camp fight led to him not traveling with the team for a preseason game. The frustration of knowing where his body is may have led to that.

Long has played in 8 games in each of the past three seasons. It was always something different with Long as well. It went from freak injury after freak injury.

Long was able to push back last season and wound up playing in his first playoff game. Albeit a loss, it was great to see Long get to that point at least once.

Long is now 30 years old. Players can usually play into their mid-30s, but with the injury track record of Long, it is hard to think he can get back to the player he was. There has been too much wear and tear.

Long gave back money this offseason and shortened his contract to make it easier for the Bears to let him go next year. The Bears will be up against the cap and will make an easy decision to release a player who has missed more than half of a year in four straight seasons.

Will Long play for another team? Will the Bears re-sign him on the cheap? Does he know his body, and know this may be the end? Unfortunately, the latter may be the most trye.