Kansas City Chiefs make PUP list decision on Kyle Long

The Kansas City Chiefs guard Kyle Long will start the 2021 season on the Chiefs physically unable to perform or PUP list, according to NFL Network’s Pelissero. He has been on the list since suffering a lower leg injury during offseason OTA’s back in June. Long signed a one-year deal with the Chiefs this offseason after retiring in 2019.

Long was the 20th pick in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears. The former Oregon Duck is the son of Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long. He spent all of his first seven seasons with the Bears. Long started off his career on a high note, making the Pro Bowl in his first three seasons. He also made the All-Pro second team in 2014 as well.

Injury woes

Kyle Long has a long history of dealing with injuries. His 2016 campaign saw him battle multiple injuries in just that season alone. He suffered a calf strain in July 2016. Then, he tore his labrum in a preseason game in August and suffered a grade-2 tricep strain in a game in October. Finally, the Bears shut him down for the season after tearing a ligament in his ankle in November.

In his final two seasons in Chicago, he played a total of just 12 games. His 2017 season was cut short after he re-tore his shoulder labrum late in the season. This time when he tore it, the Bears shut him down for the season. The following season Long would miss eight games with a pedal foot tear. The injury forced him to retire early in 2019.

The Chiefs without Long

With Long out, the Chiefs will look to Trey Smith to fill in at right guard. Smith was a sixth-round pick of Kansas City in this year’s draft. He played at the University of Tennessee, where he made the All-SEC first team in two of his four seasons there. But as good as Smith was, he saw his draft stock drop. NFL teams were concerned with blood clots found in his lungs.

The Chiefs decided to retool their offensive line after losing the Super Bowl to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Kansas City will start five completely different linemen from last year’s opening day roster.  And Long was expected to be one of them. If he makes a full recovery from this injury his first game will likely be against the Tennessee Titans in Week 7.

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