Three-Time Pro Bowler Kyle Long Returns to NFL, Signs with Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs continue to retool their offensive line as they have reportedly signed former Chicago Bears' Pro Bowl guard Kyle Long.
ESPN's Adam Schefter had the news of the guard's return from retirement first.
Long and the team reportedly agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $5 million, though Albert Breer of The MMQB tweeted on Thursday that the deal is actually worth $1.5 million, likely meaning the remaining $3.5 million would only come through incentives. Jay Glazer of FOX tweeted that Long's visit with the Chiefs went so well that he "didn't want to go elsewhere," despite having other visits planned.
It appeared Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes approved the team's move as he quote-tweeted Schefter’s report with a couple of smiley-face emojis.
What does this move mean for the Chiefs?
Joshua Brisco of Arrowhead Report's thoughts on the Chiefs' latest o-line addition:
Well, the Chiefs certainly wanted to improve their interior offensive line this offseason! As I wrote in our breakdown of the Chiefs' acquisition of fellow guard Joe Thuney, the Thuney signing left me a bit lukewarm; it's nice to solidify a guard position, but the Chiefs' next step would surely be to add a starting-caliber left tackle or center, right? ...Wrong! While there have been some murmurs that Thuney could play elsewhere on the line and Long also has some degree of positional versatility, could Brett Veach's offseason strategy really be to sign longtime guards just to move them elsewhere on the line? It seems unlikely, but as the Chiefs were in the Trent Williams sweepstakes until the bitter end, tackle still seems like a priority.
Adding veteran talent to the guard spot is fine by me, but it also makes me wonder about Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, who is scheduled to return to the team after opting out in 2020 to work as a doctor in the fight against COVID-19. Is his role now in jeopardy? Is Long coming to KC as a swing-guard option? The Chiefs also retained guard Andrew Wylie and will have guard Nick Allegretti back for 2021 as well.
Much like the Thuney signing, this is a positive move in a vacuum, but it still leaves major questions at tackle and center for the Chiefs to solve.
Read More: Chiefs Retain Charvarius Ward, Ben Niemann
