It seems the Chicago Bears will now have a harder time bouncing back this season after guard Kyle Long was ruled out for the rest of the year due to an ankle injury. According to NFL sources, Long had just undergone MRI and the results of the procedure are not favorable for the Bears.
Long injured his ankle during the Week 10 loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was carted off the field and his ankle was placed in an air cast. Veteran athlete Ted Larsen was brought in to take on Long's place.
Following the match on Sunday, Long went to see a doctor to undergo MR. After, according to the results, Long will miss the rest of the season with the Bears.
"More bad news for the #Bears: I'm told the MRI has confirmed that star OL Kyle Long is out for the season," Ian Rapoport tweeted. "Major loss in leadership and play."
Long officially joined the Chicago franchise in 2013 as the team's 20th overall draft pick. Prior to his injury during the weekend, he only missed one game during his entire career with the team. He has also been a starter ever since he signed with the Bears.
His absence will certainly have a huge effect on the team, especially for the Bears' offense. Right now, the team is looking at 7 losses and only 2 wins.
For three years, Long has been a significant member of the offensive line. And, despite being relatively young, he has served as one of the leaders of the team.
As for his replacement, it is not yet exactly clear if the Bears will appoint Larsen as the new starting guard for the team since his original post is center. But looking at the Bears' current roster, it seems the team doesn't have too many options since they lack the necessary depth at the right guard position.
What they can probably do now, if they don't want to transfer Larsen, is to sign someone from the free agency pool since they currently do not have an available guard on the practice squad.
