Kyle Long Injury: Updates on Bears Guard's Arm and Return

Alec NathanOct 20, 2016

Chicago Bears right guard Kyle Long suffered an arm injury in a Week 7 loss to the Green Bay Packers and hadn't played since. However, he is ready to return.

Continue for updates.

Long Active vs. Buccaneers

Sunday, Nov. 13

The Bears announced Long is available to play in Week 10 against Tampa Bay.

Latest on Long's Practice Status

Friday, Nov. 11

The Bears announced Long was a full participant at practice for the second straight day on Friday.

Fox Comments on Long's Injury

Monday, Oct. 24

Bears head coach John Fox told reporters it's a "day-to-day process" regarding Long's status, per Zach Zaidman of 670 The Score.

Long Comments on Arm Injury

Thursday, Oct. 20

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune provided Long's take on the severity of his injury:

Long Has History of Durability in Career

Long strained his calf during the early stages of training camp but returned to practice following a few days on the sidelines.

And considering Long doesn't have much in the way of an injury history, the minor setback was hardly concerning. Entering the 2016 season, Long had missed a grand total of one regular-season game over the course of three professional campaigns.

The 2013 first-round draft pick encountered some struggles during the 2015 season as he transitioned from right guard to right tackle, but that didn't stop him from making his third Pro Bowl in as many years.

"I think I made a big sacrifice in my career, and I think [the Pro Bowl nod] was in kind of a roundabout way the reward for it," Long said after earning the prestigious nod, per Larry Mayer of the team's official website.

But even though Long battled through growing pains and made a name for himself as a tackle, he slid back to more comfortable surroundings at right guard prior to training camp.

At 2-6, the struggling Bears will be glad to have Long in the lineup in order to end the season strong and keep quarterback Jay Cutler upright.