Former Chicago Bears Pro Bowl guard Kyle Long, who has retired this season, signs a $ 5 million one-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Long visited the Las Vegas Raiders on Tuesday.
Long is the latest addition to the Chiefs offensive, as Kansas City is trying to renovate a unit that could have five new entrees in 2021 in the opening period of last year. The Chiefs recently agreed to contract terms with former New England Patriots guard Joe Thuney.
The Chiefs recently released both of last season’s starting holes, Mitchell Schwartz and Eric Fisher. Two other players who started last season as starters, center Austin Reiter and guard Kelechi Osemele, are unlimited free agents.
They also expect two players who were selected last season to return, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and Lucas Niang.
Still far from retiring with hopes of playing again in 2021, after retiring in January 2020 after seven seasons with the Bears.
Long was drafted in 20th place by the Bears in 2013 and missed just one game in his first three seasons, but appeared in his last four years in just 30 games for the regular season. He was selected to three consecutive Pro Bowls in his first three NFL seasons.
Long, who is 32, suffered a gruesome ankle injury in 2016 that cost him the last eight games that year and the first two games of the 2017 season. Long eventually missed six games in 2017 with a variety of ailments, undergoing neck, shoulder and elbow surgeries in the off-season. He returned in time to start the Bears’ first seven games in 2018 before Chicago shut him down again before returning in Week 17 due to a foot injury.
Long opened the regular season of 2019 in good condition, but suffered a hip injury during practice before the game against the Minnesota Vikings on September 29th. He was inactive for the game, but returned to the starting line-up against the Raiders in London in October. 6.
After losing to the Raiders – a game in which Long played all 56 possible snaps in the attack – the Bears decided they would be better off without Long, and immediately put the veteran back in the injured reserve.
Has been doing studio television work for CBS for the 2020 season.
ESPN’s Adam Teicher and Jeff Dickerson contributed to this report.