UPDATE: NFL reporter Tom Pelissero has news that offensive lineman Kyle Long is believed to have suffered a fractured kneecap and could miss training camp for the K.C. Chiefs.
Long came to the Chiefs hoping to return to his Pro Bowl form after dealing with numerous injuries over his final couple NFL seasons in 2018-19 before retiring from the game before the 2020 season. As a longtime lineman for the Chicago Bears, Long was one of the league’s better linemen and could play both guard and tackle in his prime.
The Chiefs lured Long out of retirement earlier this offseason when he indicated an interest in playing again. Long visited the Las Vegas Raiders and then the Chiefs and never made it out of Arrowhead without a contract. He was given an incentive-laden deal with a $1.5 million base salary worth potentially up to $5 million.
While many players were in need of the Chiefs spring activities and preseason work in order to get back into shape, Long was likely going to need the on-ramp more than others given his absence from the game for a full year or more. Now if he’s unable to play before the regular season begins, it will be interesting to see how “ready” he is when he’s officially healthy.
The K.C. Chiefs have lost Kyle Long to a leg injury.
The Chiefs endured a significant number of injuries last year along the offensive line, so this stomach punch doesn’t help, but the team can take comfort in knowing they have loads of depth at the very spots at which Long was competing. Fans can expect to see Andrew Wylie, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, and Trey Smith continue to vie for a right guard spot with others like Mike Remmers capable of sliding over.