HEADLINE

Bears activate RG Long from IR

The Sports Xchange

December 29, 2018 at 2:18 pm.

The Chicago Bears activated right guard Kyle Long from injured reserve, the team announced Saturday.

Sidelined for two months due to a right foot injury, Long has practiced fully throughout the week and will be available for Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Minnesota Vikings.

“He’s had a good week of practice,” Chicago coach Matt Nagy said Friday. “When you’re out that long and you come back, a lot of it is just getting your wind back, your conditioning back and then obviously trying to see exactly how you feel pain-wise and then health-wise as well, but he’s done a good job.”

Long was hurt in a 24-10 win over the New York Jets in Week 8. He was carted off the field and initial estimates had him set to miss six to eight weeks. Nagy does not expect Long to be limited against the Vikings.

“Just talking to him throughout the week, I feel pretty good with him playing most of the game,” said Nagy. “But we’ve got to kind of see if that’s where we’re at and if it is a ‘pitch count.’ I think a lot of that honestly is going to be more so (how he feels during the game).”

A first-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft (No. 20 overall), Long was an iron man for the Bears in his first three seasons, starting 47 games and earning Pro Bowl honors each year. However, he has missed 21 games to injury over the past three seasons.

“I’ve just tried to take whatever’s on my plate every day and do the most I can with it,” Long said of his latest rehabilitation. “Like I’ve said a bunch of times, this training staff has been really great in keeping me as prepared as possible to play physically, and credit to them.”

To clear a roster spot for Long, Chicago waived quarterback Tyler Bray.