Chicago Bears: Kyle Long deal is a win-win for team
The Chicago Bears got some good news on Tuesday regarding veteran Kyle Long.
When Chicago Bears fans last saw Kyle Long, he was exiting Soldier Field fresh off a heartbreaking loss in what was his first playoff game with the team. The veteran offensive lineman has been the heart and soul of the team for many years — especially the lean ones — during which the Bears never even sniffed the level of success they had last season.
Sadly, there were rumors swirling over his status with the team going forward. It is no secret that the Bears are short on salary cap space this year, and Long was scheduled to account for $8.5 million against next year’s cap.
This fact made some wonder whether Long would bit let go, while others took a more measured approach and speculated that he could agree to restructure his contract. Thankfully, cooler and more reasonable heads prevailed, and Long agreed to have his deal restructured.
As a result, the quintessential team player will return to the Bears, and more importantly to an offensive line who now returns all of its starters. In an area where continuity is critical, the Bears will have it. Not only do they return a leader in the locker room, but a fantastic player (when healthy) at a position of need.
Kyle Long has restructured his contract, as @BradBiggs and @RapSheet said. Gives #Bears extra cap space and Long extra security. Makes sense for both sides. Long is healthy this offseason and still a very valuable piece at age 30.
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) February 26, 2019
Had the Bears parted ways with Long, it would have created an immediate void at the guard position. It also would have meant that the Bears would’ve had to use some of their limited resources (free agent dollars or draft picks) to fill that void.
With Long back in the fold, they can deploy those resources to fill other, more pressing needs — especially since they will need, at a minimum, to replace Cody Parkey and potentially Bryce Callahan, Adrian Amos, or both.
Next. Potential free agent adds from the 49ers. dark
At this point, the details regarding the restructuring have not been released. However, anything the team saves this year will likely go into the coffers to retain Callahan and Amos. That also means the Bears can focus on drafting offensive line depth to develop behind Long, rather than having to overpay for a free agent and immediate starter next season.
All in all, it was a good news day for the Bears and Kyle Long, who, in his own words, will be a “Bear for life.”