Bears' Wilson, Long just two of 19 ending season on I.R.

Nothing epitomized the Bears' season more than guard Kyle Long and wide receiver Marquess Wilson comparing each other's casts and the scooters they each utilized to support their surgical legs Monday in the locker room.

Wilson fractured the same foot for the third time in 53 weeks, limiting him to just three games. Long's season ended at the halfway point with a fractured ankle. They were two of 19 players on injured reserve at season's end.

As soon as Long is fully ambulatory, he'll have surgery on the torn labrum in his shoulder, which should be later this month.

"I'll be able to walk around a little bit, which should be nice," Long said. "Go check out my basement for the first time."

Long expects the rehab from the shoulder procedure to be less lengthy than from the ankle.

Wilson, who also missed the first half of the 2014 season with a fractured clavicle, has flashed big-play ability when healthy. He averaged 16.6 yards on 28 catches last season, He established personal bests of 8 catches and 125 yards in his only start this year, one game before he was re-injured.

"It's very frustrating," he said. "I just want to be able to show what I can do and help the team out. It's just like I'm letting them down and myself down. But I'm doing everything I can to stay healthy."

Center of attention:

As rookies go, fifth-round running back Jordan Howard was more noticeable because he rushed for 1,313 yards, but second-round center Cody Whitehair's performance was just as impressive.

Whitehair played guard and tackle at Kansas State, but was moved to center a week before the Bears' season opener after snapping the ball just three times in the preseason. He was one of only three Bears to start all 16 games - offensive left tackle Charles Leno and defensive end Akiem Hicks were the others - and the rookie was arguably the most consistent performer on the O-line.

He's come a long way, according to Bears three-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman Kyle Long.

"I saw a guy (who) when he first showed up, I was like, 'He can pretty much start a tractor and lift hay bales into a tractor and that's it,'" Long said. "He's flourished into one of the best centers in the league. He's wise beyond his years. He's very, very calm and collected. He asks the right questions when he needs to. He's not afraid to ask the questions that need to be asked."

Ready to return:

Brian Hoyer was clearly the Bears' most effective quarterback this season, even though the team was 1-4 in his starts.

Hoyer had a passer rating of 98.0 after replacing Jay Cutler when he was sidelined with a thumb injury. But a fractured left (non-throwing) arm early in his fifth start was a season-ender for Hoyer. He threw for more than 300 yards in all four games he started and finished and had 6 TD passes and zero interceptions.

The well-traveled, 31-year-old Hoyer has started 31 games for four different teams since spending his first three seasons with the New England Patriots, mostly as an observer.

Hoyer, who in March will be coming out of the one-year $2 million deal he signed last off-season with the Bears, would love to stay here. Having just been cleared for full activity, he would also value a chance to compete for a starting job.

"Any chance I get is something I would cherish," he said. "I'm realistic. I know what those opportunities represent, but I also believe in myself. I know that I'm capable of being a quarterback in this league."

• Follow Bob's Bears reports on Twitter @BobLeGere.