Kyle Long happy to be a 'Chicago Bear for life'
After three Pro Bowls in three seasons, Kyle Long didn't have any realistic concerns about his football future. Still, his $40 million, four-year extension that the team announced Monday gives him a new level of tranquility.
"I can rest easy tonight and for all the nights in my NFL career, knowing I'll be a Chicago Bear," Long said. "I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity and excited to continue to try to progress as a Bear and as a football player and a teammate."
It provides peace of mind as well for a Bears organization still rebuilding after it followed a 5-11 disaster in 2014 with last year's 6-10 record.
"He's an important part of the foundation we're building here for the future," coach John Fox said of the 20th overall draft pick in 2013. "He brings the right mindset every day to work. He's a leader in that locker room. So, obviously, he's an important cog of hopefully what we'll be about moving forward."
Since the 6-foot-6, 320-pound guard is still considered an ascending player at age 27, Long could have waited and gotten more money than the deal he signed, which includes $30 million guaranteed. But he's currently dealing with a labrum injury in his left shoulder that could impact his future - Long recently missed two weeks with the injury. But he's back at practice on a limited basis and plans to play through the injury, starting with Sunday's opener against the Houston Texans.
"Kyle is extremely talented, a great teammate and more than deserving of this contract," Bears general manager Ryan Pace said. "He is a big piece of the foundation we are building, and we only expect him to continue to get better."
By getting the extension done early, Long wanted to avoid the angst and animosity that often accompanies negotiations as deadlines loom.
"It's important to understand how these things work," he said. "The longer you wait, the uglier those things get. I've known since Day 1 that I wanted to be a Chicago Bear for life and get an opportunity to play for the best franchise in football in the best city in America.
"When the (extension) talk started, I said, 'I don't want to be a part of the talks. But what I do want you guys to understand is that I want to be here forever; and get it done.' So that's what they did."
It was Long's father, NFL Hall of Fame defensive end Howie; and older brother Chris, a New England Patriots defensive end; who first explained the environment he was heading into. Having started just five FBS football games in two seasons at Oregon, Long wasn't expecting to be a first-round draft pick of any team.
"When I got (surprised) in the first round, I just remember my jaw dropped," Long said. "My brother and my dad looked at me like, 'You have no idea what you're getting into right now because Chicago is such a great sports town.' It's one of the crown-jewel franchises in the NFL. There's only a handful of them, and I got a chance to be a Chicago Bear."
Despite the money and the security, Long doesn't buy the notion that he's set for life.
"Nobody's set for life," he said. "If life is measured in finances, then what is life? For me, life is improving every day, making those around you better and improving the mindset and state (of mind) of those around you."
Long's mind is where it needs to be for Sunday's game in which he will have to help the Bears' offensive line neutralize Houston's all-world defensive end J.J. Watt, the NFL's three-time defensive player of the year.
Asked if he was going to reward himself in light of his financial windfall, Long changed the subject.
"The first thing I'm going to do is go play some football because that's what I've been waiting to do the past few weeks," he said. "It's been fun being out there at practice. It's fun to get out there and hit some people."
The extension doesn't kick in until 2018 and keeps Long with the Bears through the 2021 season.
As part of his rookie contract, Long's base salary this season is $778,158 and his cap value is $2.641 million, including the $1.104 prorated portion of his signing bonus plus a $760,000 roster bonus. The Bears previously picked up his fifth-year option of $8.821 million for the 2017 season.
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