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The Bears did not lie when they spoke of the importance of continuity in all its forms to begin this off season. On Tuesday, they officially restructured the contract of long-time offensive lineman Kyle Long, according to the Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Long, which was supposed to count as an $ 8.5 million cap for the Bears, agreed to change the parameters of his contract. The exact details of the restructuring of Long have not been released yet, but it is a safe bet that it is highly incentive.
Long, the active user of Twitter during the dead seasons, had the most appropriate reaction to the news:
The promise to stay in Chicago – the place where Long was chosen in 2013 and has since carved out a prominent place as a leader – has undoubtedly played a key role in this compromise. The fact that the 30-year-old right guard has agreed to make his stay on the Bears list more enjoyable for the organization speaks volumes. Long was the first player on the team during his six-year professional career and clearly wanted to play with a competitor rather than risk the open waters of free will.
Significantly, a veteran of the Long Mussel wants to stay in one place and enjoy the benefits of playing in one of the best teams in the NFL. It also means the Bears will bring back the 11 offensive starting from 2018 next season. If you do not remember the last time it happened in Chicago (I do not blame you), it's probably a good thing. The best way for any new and growing offense to take the next step is to stay together. You do not need to pick up game concepts. There is no need to build a foundation of chemistry and comfort when it already exists. The Bears have brought the group back to Matt Nagy and are ready to make the jump.
The challenge now at the individual level for Long is to stay healthy.
He has suffered a variety of injuries in recent seasons and has not participated in a full 16-game season since 2015. To be clear, Long did not even start double-digit games in the same period. One of the main reasons the Bears wanted to restructure his contract was simply because they could not reasonably stand to keep a player in who they might not be able to trust to stay on the field. A three-time Pro Bowler who could never reach the same level of play because he sits on the wrong side of the 30, is not any one that you want to have a limit of 8.5 million. dollars; especially when you are already facing the wall financially. This movement between the two sides at Halas Hall has long (no pun intended) to have the writing on the wall.
If Long had not accepted the Bears demands, they could very well have reduced it because he would have committed only $ 3 million in maximum capitalization while saving $ 5 million in Chicago. Instead, he has the opportunity to try to play three more seasons on a major contract signed in 2016. It is therefore important that this season is the first time since the fateful month of 2015 that Long enter a dead season without any lingering injury problems.
It would be up to the veteran to take advantage of his extraordinary new health to strengthen his body and core and to resist through a window of the Bears Super Bowl. Until further notice, the Bears have no quality replacement in place for Long. Until then, he will have every chance to give a second wind to his playing career on a contender in the championship.
Robert is the Editor-in-Chief of the Blitz Network (subscribe here!), editor of Windy City Gridiron, and writes for many excellent publications. You can follow him on Twitter @RobertZeglinski.
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