Tag: Kyle Long

Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides injury updates prior to Wednesday practice

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid provided injury updates ahead of practice on Wednesday, revealing a new injury to CB L’Jarius Sneed and insight into the right tackle situation.

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The Kansas City Chiefs will have their first practice of the week ahead of their Week 10 game on “Sunday Night Football” against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Andy Reid gave his usual pre-practice injury briefing on Wednesday, updating reporters on some new absences and injuries that the Chiefs are currently dealing with. Two of the absences on Wednesday won’t be injury-related according to Reid.

“Chris Jones and Dorian O’Daniel have been excused for the day for personal reasons,” Reid began.

Both Jones and O’Daniel are expected back at practice later this week.

As for the injuries, Reid confirmed that both Lucas Niang and Mike Remmers would be held out to start the week. Niang suffered a rib injury during the Week 9 game against the Packers and Remmers has been dealing with a knee injury for the past two weeks.

“You know about (Lucas) Niang with the ribs and (Mike) Remmers with the knee,” Reid said. ” Those two won’t practice.”

As for who might replace Niang and Remmers in practice, Reid suggested the team has some flexibility. They could even see Kyle Long get some snaps there as he returns to practice.

“We have flexibility which is good,” Reid said. “I think it’s just important right now that he gets back in the swing and move around a little bit doing football. That’s kind of where we’re at right now.”

Reid also revealed one new injury today, with CB L’Jarius Sneed nursing an ankle injury following Week 9.

“The new one would be (L’Jarius) Sneed,” Reid said. “His ankle is bothering him, so we’re going to put him down today and he’ll be back here.”

The Chiefs protected CB Dicaprio Bootle on the practice squad on Tuesday, suggesting there might be an issue with Sneed. The second-year corner, who had one of the best games of his career in Week 9, left the game briefly with an injury before returning. We’ll see if he can get back on the practice field at some point this week. Typically, players need at least a limited practice in order to play on Sunday.

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Chiefs open OL Kyle Long’s practice window

Kyle Long remains on the Reserve/PUP list, but the #Chiefs officially opened his practice window on Tuesday.

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The Kansas City Chiefs signed veteran OL Kyle Long out of retirement this offseason, but he hasn’t played a snap this season due to an injury suffered during OTAs. He started the 2021 NFL season on the Reserve/PUP list as a result.

According to the NFL’s official personnel notice, the Chiefs have designated Long to begin practicing this week. He has been permitted to attend team meetings and rehab at team facilities, but after sitting out for the first nine weeks of the season, he’ll now be back on the practice fields.

Long remains on the Reserve/PUP list, but this move opens up a 21-day practice window. He can now practice with the team and if they deem him healthy enough, he can be activated as early as this week. If he isn’t activated during the newly-opened practice window, the team would have to choose between sending Long to injured reserve or releasing him from his contract.

Long’s return comes at the perfect time for Kansas City with injuries to both right tackles Mike Remmers and Lucas Niang. The 32-year-old veteran played most of his career at right guard, but started a full 16-game season at right tackle with the Chicago Bears in 2015, earning a Pro Bowl selection that season. Should the Chiefs be without Remmers and Niang for any stretch of time, Long is someone who could fill in at that position for Kansas City.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides injury updates on Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kyle Long

Neither Clyde Edwards-Helaire nor Kyle Long will return from injury for the #Chiefs this week, but Andy Reid says they’re both getting closer to making a return.

Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid gave his usual post-practice update to the media on Friday.

Reid provided a few injury updates to the media, starting with the one that will directly impact the Chiefs’ Week 9 game against the Green Bay Packers.

“Mike Remmers didn’t practice today, he was the only one that didn’t practice,” Reid said. “He is listed as out.”

Lucas Niang will get his second consecutive start at right tackle this week. He allowed just one pressure against the New York Giants in Week 8.

Reid also spoke about a pair of players who aren’t currently on the active roster for Kansas City, beginning with Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who remains on injured reserve. Edwards-Helaire last suited up in Week 5 against the Buffalo Bills, suffering an MCL sprain during the game. While Edwards-Helaire is closer to making his return, it could be a few weeks before he is deemed healthy.

“Yeah, he’s working hard to get back,” Reid said of Edwards-Helaire. “It’s just that whole healing thing that has to take place. But he’s closer than, obviously, he was. You know, we’ll just see how time handles it in the next week or two.”

It’s not in Edwards-Helaire’s best interest or the team’s best interest to rush him back from this injury. The Chiefs are confident in the duo of Darrel Williams and Derrick Gore for the time being, which gives them the luxury of being cautious here.

Reid also provided an update on Kyle Long, who remains on the Physically Unable to Perform list. He’s also working very hard and getting closer to making his return, but the Chiefs aren’t in a hurry to get him on the field.

“Yeah, so he’s working,” Reid said of Long. “He’s another one that works like crazy. We’re getting there, I mean we’re getting close. But it’s not because, he’s not in there, not because of effort right? He’s been working his tail off.”

With the Chiefs’ bye week coming up in Week 12, it’d be a safe bet to assume that both Edwards-Helaire and Long would make their return to action no later than Week 13.

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Chiefs OL Kyle Long eligible to return from Reserve/PUP list this week

#Chiefs OL Kyle Long is eligible to return from the Reserve/PUP list and open his practice window this week.

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The Kansas City Chiefs could be getting some reinforcements along the offensive line as early as this week.

Kyle Long is free to begin practicing this week after starting out the 2021 NFL season on the Reserve/PUP list. The veteran offensive lineman suffered a tibial plateau fracture in OTA practice during the offseason and it caused him to miss the entirety of training camp and the preseason. He has been allowed to attend team meetings and rehab at team facilities, but after sitting out for six weeks, he’s now allowed to return to practice.

It’s not a guarantee that he’ll return to practice this week, though. Speaking to the media on Monday, Reid didn’t yet have an update on Long’s status.

“I normally meet with Rick (Burkholder) here this afternoon,” Reid said. “So I’ll know more about all of that once we get to that point, but right now I don’t have anything for you.”

Should Long return to practice, a new six-week window will open. He can practice with the team and if they deem him healthy enough, he can be activated from the PUP list and return to play. If he doesn’t return to practice and get activated within the next six weeks, the team would have to choose between sending him to injured reserve or releasing him from his contract.

Long, 32, came out of retirement to sign with the Chiefs this offseason. Should he return healthy, the veteran adds a ton of experience to the offensive line. He started 76 games at right guard or right tackle across seven seasons with the Bears, earning three Pro Bowl selections and one second-team All-Pro selection. Long’s healthy return could even provide Kansas City with the flexibility to trade another offensive lineman ahead of the November 2nd trade deadline.

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Chiefs place OL Kyle Long on PUP, TE Nick Keizer on non-football injury list

The #Chiefs have placed OL Kyle Long on the active/PUP list, TE Nick Keizer on the active/non-football injury list and WR Chris Finke on IR. More here:

The Kansas City Chiefs made a few more transactions on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday’s initial training camp practice.

According to the NFL’s official transaction report, the Chiefs have placed OL Kyle Long on the physically unable to perform list and TE Nick Keizer on the non-football injury list.

Long, who suffered a leg injury during OTAs, is expected to miss training camp with his injury. A move to the PUP list was expected given the expected duration of his injury. He was placed on the active/PUP list, which means he’ll continue to count against the 90-man offseason roster. He can be activated at any point throughout training camp with this designation, which means if he’s ahead of schedule on his injury, he’ll be able to practice and play with the team.

Keizer’s placement on the active/non-football injury list comes as a bit of surprise. The veteran tight end hadn’t been absent from OTAs or mandatory minicamp. Heading to the non-football injury list and not the PUP list suggests that he suffered his injury training away from the team. With an extremely competitive tight end group this season, missing any significant period of time could be a big deal for Keizer and any shot he had to make the team.

If Long and Keizer remain on these respective lists through 53-man roster cuts, the team will have to choose to activate the players or send them to reserve versions of each list. If they are sent to the reserve versions, they’d both be required to miss six weeks of the NFL season before they can return to practice and be activated to the 53-man roster. If they aren’t healthy after those six weeks, the team can then choose to send them to injured reserve.

The Chiefs now have two players on both the non-football injury list and PUP list, with a total of four players who are injured counting against the 90-man offseason roster. Long and Keizer join DE Malik Herring and DB Armani Watts.

In addition to these two transactions, the Chiefs placed WR Chris Finke on injured reserve. He was waived with an injury designation on Monday, clearing waivers and reverting to the injured reserve list. The receiver can now choose to heal up and return to action when he’s ready or the team can come to an agreement on an injury settlement and he can go pursue another opportunity.

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Breaking down Chiefs’ options at RG after Kyle Long’s injury

The Kansas City Chiefs have a TON of options at right guard sans Kyle Long.

The Kansas City Chiefs received some disappointing news on Thursday, learning of a knee injury to right guard Kyle Long.

Long returned from a season of retirement to join the Chiefs this offseason. He had been the starter at right guard since OTAs began just a few weeks ago and looked to earn the starting job heading into the season. Part of the excitement surrounding his return was his health as nagging injuries hampered his career with the Chicago Bears. In his final two seasons in the windy city, he appeared in just 12 games.

Now, with Long sidelined again, the Chiefs will be tasked with finding a replacement on the roster for the remainder of offseason training and perhaps to start the regular season. Thankfully, the team invested a ton of resources on the offensive line and the right guard position might be the deepest spot in terms of players capable of playing it.

Below you’ll find a quick look at several of the options who can fill in for Long while he’s injured in no particular order:

 

Former Bears OL Kyle Long suffered lower-leg injury, could miss training camp

Former Bears OL Kyle Long suffered a lower-leg injury, which is expected to sideline him throughout training camp.

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There’s no denying that Kyle Long was a force on Chicago’s offensive line during his seven seasons with the Bears. The biggest issue was his injury concerns, as he played just 12 total games in his final two seasons in Chicago due to injury.

After taking a year off, where he served as a studio analyst at CBS Sports, Long made his return to the NFL signing a one-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this offseason.

But Long has hit another injury roadblock after suffering a lower-leg injury that could hold him out of training camp, according to Ian Rapoport.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid told reporters Thursday that there’s a chance Long might need surgery, but “we will see.”

The hope is that Long could return before the start of the regular season, according to Tom Pelissero.

Long took to Twitter to address his injury:

Long was a first-round selection by the Bears in 2013, where he was a three-time Pro Bowler at two different positions. He was a valuable part of their offensive line. But ultimately injuries plagued Long over the his last four seasons in Chicago.

Long last played for the Bears in 2019 before landing on injured reserve five weeks into the season with a hip issue. He retired from football in early 2020.

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Chiefs RG Kyle Long staying positive following injury at OTAs

Long sent out a tweet shortly after the news of his injury broke.

Kansas City Chiefs RG Kyle Long suffered a lower-leg injury during OTA practices this past week.

It’s being reported that Long is expected to miss the remainder of the offseason program, including training camp and the preseason. There is optimism that he’ll be ready to play at the start of the season. Long spent the past year in retirement and now he’ll be missing out on valuable practice time ahead of the season.

Shortly after the injury was reported, Long took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the situation. It’s clear that he’s remaining positive despite this new injury challenge that he’s set to face.

“I did everything I could to prepare to get back for football,” Long wrote. “Zero regrets. I’ve been getting better everyday and having so much fun with my new team. Focusing on controlling the things I can control. Yesterday was not one of those things! Thanks for the well wishes.”

Long is no stranger to injury-related adversity, having suffered a torn labrum, a triceps strain, an ankle injury, a hip injury and a groin tear with Chicago Bears. This new injury, while stopping Long’s momentum this offseason, is just a minor setback in his NFL comeback tour in 2021.

Thankfully, Long is in good hands with Rick Burkholder and the rest of the medical and training staff in Kansas City taking care of him. If he stays the course with his rehab plan, he could end up back in the starting lineup by Week 1, which will be all that matters in the long run.

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Report: Chiefs G Kyle Long suffers leg injury, could miss training camp

The Kansas City Chiefs’ rebuilt offensive line has taken a hit.

The depth for the Kansas City Chiefs’ rebuilt offensive line has already seemingly taken a hit.

According to a new report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Chiefs guard Kyle Long suffered a leg injury, seemingly during the course of Organized Team Activities (OTAs). Long, of course, came out of retirement to join the Chiefs as a free agent this offseason and has been working as the starting right guard during OTAs. Kansas City had stayed injury free to this point of OTAs,

Pelissero says that Long underwent tests and the injury is significant enough that it could keep him out for the majority of training camp. The timeline that Pelissero provided puts him back just ahead of the start of the regular season.

The good news here is that the injury isn’t a more serious one because it sounds like it could have been that way. One of the biggest knocks to Long during the latter half of his career has been his ability to stay healthy. We’ll just see how this plays out for the veteran.

In the meantime, expect Chiefs sixth-round draft pick, Trey Smith, to get a lot of first-team repetitions in place of Long. While veterans like Andrew Wylie and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif make a lot of sense, the team quietly has been impressed with what they’ve seen from Smith during rookie minicamp and OTAs. He’ll get every opportunity in place of Long and perhaps even earn a starting role.

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DB Sherrick McManis confirms he will not return to the Bears

Sherrick McManis, who has been with the Bears since 2011, confirmed he won’t be returning to the team in 2021.

For the first time since the 2011 season, defensive back and special teams ace Sherrick McManis will not be on the Chicago Bears roster when they open their season in September.

McManis, who is currently a free agent, confirmed his days in Chicago were numbered in a tweet to former Bears guard Kyle Long after Long shared an appreciation post for his former teammate.

“I’ll miss my teammates, fans, staff and most coaches,” McManis wrote to Long. “The ones who valued what I brought to Chicago. It’s been real, Chicago. Love.” 

For many years, McManis was best known for being the longest-tenured Bear. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL draft and was traded to Chicago just prior to the 2012 season. He spent nine seasons in the navy and orange, contributing primarily on special teams and even becoming a team captain.

He called himself “a utility belt,” as he was thrust into action on defense due to injuries over the years, while mainly playing a key role in punt and kickoff situations.

McManis totaled 136 tackles, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries in his nine years as a Bear. He also played under four head coaches and was the last connection to the Lovie Smith era, coming in during his final year. The 33-year old also played for Marc Trestman, John Fox, and Matt Nagy.

With McManis moving on, punter Pat O’Donnell now holds the title for the team’s most tenured player. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL draft.

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