Kyle Long, OL
Everyone knew this was going to be part of the risk of signing Kyle Long. The Chiefs still felt it was worth it.
Long came to Kansas City on a free agent visit back in March after making it known that he missed the game following retirement back in 2020. He took a visit with the Las Vegas Raiders before also coming to K.C., but the Chiefs didn’t let him walk without a deal. He was one of the first parts of a massive rebuild, one which also included a new left tackle in Orlando Brown, Jr. and left guard in Joe Thuney.
The breakdown on Long is pretty straightforward. When he’s healthy, he’s an absolute mauler who should be able to lock down a position on the right side of the line for the Chiefs even after a year away. Unfortunately staying healthy has been the issue for him in the last few years, hindering the progress of a career that began with three straight Pro Bowl seasons with the Chicago Bears.
Back in offseason training activities, the Chiefs watched Long go down with a leg injury that was clearly serious to keep him out for a while. The early prognosis was that he could be back by the regular season, so don’t expect to see Long suit up on the field for any sessions in St. Joseph. If the Chiefs can get him back in August at any point, that should be a bonus for a line that still looks great without him.